Public Transportation
by whenpoetryrises
Summary: Bella and Edward meet at a bus station. They both feel a spark, but believe they will never see each other again. So what happens when the bus crashes and fate intervenes? All human, cannon couples, rated M for safety. *On hiatus*
1. Getting Arrested

**Summary: Bella and Edward meet at a bus station. They both feel a spark, but believe they will never see each other again. So what happens when the bus crashes and fate intervenes? All human, cannon couples*, rated M for safety.**

***With the exception of Jacob and Leah. Renesmee just didn't fit into this story.**

**Regarding the M rating: I'm erring on the safe side, since there will be some borderline T/M parts and occasional swearing. It is possible that the M rating will be necessary for later chapters, but if you're looking for lots of smut, you should probably look elsewhere.**

**Lastly, a disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer and I do not own Twilight or these characters. But I still have plenty of fun with them! :)**

* * *

**Getting Arrested (Bella's POV)**

I glanced impatiently at my watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. It took about an hour to get to Port Angeles and my bus was leaving in an hour and fifteen minutes. Jacob was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago. I was getting annoyed. Generally, he was fairly prompt, so I couldn't figure out why he wasn't here. I'd already tried calling him, but he didn't pick up.

It didn't help that it was insanely early. My bus was leaving from Port Angeles at 6:00 AM. Which meant I had been up since 4:00 AM, packing and making my dad breakfast, since he had insisted on getting up to say goodbye.

"Just let me give you a ride, Bells," Charlie pleaded from his seat at the breakfast table. It was the first time he had spoken in nearly ten minutes. He'd been stuffing himself with the eggs and french toast that I made. I often wonder how my father survives when I'm not here. He can't cook _anything_. Even simple meals like pasta or pancakes are beyond him.

"Dad, Jake said he would take me. Besides, I would really prefer not to show up at the bus station in your cruiser again." I grimaced. The last time Charlie took me to the bus station, he felt the need to put his lights on (I swear he's an attention-lover at heart). Several people seemed to think I was a criminal, being let loose (it didn't help that Charlie stuck me in the back since the passenger seat was covered in police equipment). The other passengers gave me looks all the way to Seattle, which made for quite an unpleasant bus ride.

I immediately felt bad when Charlie looked hurt by my statement. I knew he hated seeing me only every few months. I had lived with him for two years in high school, but I moved back to Arizona for college and stayed there afterwards. Washington (but especially Forks) was too cold, too green, and too rainy. I didn't mind coming to visit--or even staying for the summer--but I preferred the wide open spaces, the warm desert wind, and the sun.

As I began daydreaming about the Phoenix heat, the phone rang. I sighed. "That _better_ be Jacob," I growled. I'm always a bit of a grouch in the early morning.

I grabbed the telephone half way through its second ring. "Hello?"

"Bella!" Jacob sounded breathless.

"Jake, where are you, you dolt? You said you'd pick me up twenty minutes—"

"I'm at the hospital."

I drew in a large breath of air. "What happened? Are you okay? Is Leah—?"

"She started having contractions. We were worried…she's only five months along…" he sounded so distraught.

"Oh, Jake…are she and the baby okay?" My voice was high and anxious.

"Yeah. They stopped the contractions. The doctors think she'll need to stay on bed rest for a while, but I guess...god!...I mean...they think everything looks all right. They're going to keep her here tonight to monitor her though."

Charlie looked up from his food, his face questioning. He must have heard how worried I sounded. I held up a hand, gesturing for him to hold on.

"That's good…I hope everything stays stable," I said.

"Yeah, me too…look, Bells, I've got to get back to Leah, but can Charlie get you to the bus station? I don't think I can make it back in time."

"Of course. You should stay with Leah. Charlie's been begging me to take a ride in the Dream Machine anyway." Jake and I used to invent nicknames for the cruiser back in high school. "Dream Machine" was just one of many. I smirked at Charlie, who was looking simultaneously outraged (he hated when I bashed his cruiser), confused, and concerned.

Jacob just laughed. "Yeah, have fun getting arrested."

I rolled my eyes. I _knew_ I shouldn't have told him about last time. "You're the one who should be arrested, you delinquent."

"Mmhmm, just keep telling yourself that, kid. The law will catch up with you one day."

"Well, let's just hope they don't catch you first. Things will get expensive once your kid arrives. You'll be too poor to bail yourself out of jail."

"Hey, _you're_ the starving artist. I'm a successful mechanic."

"I'm a _journalist_, thank you very much."

Jacob laughed. "And a damn good one."

I heard voices in the background and someone saying "Mr. Black?" Jacob's response was muffled and I could tell he had covered the phone to speak to someone.

He came back on the line, sounding harried. "I've got to go--the doctor needs to speak to me--but it's good talking to you, Bells."

"You too. You and Leah stay safe. Look after her and the baby. And call me tomorrow with an update."

"You know I will."

"Bye, Jake."

"See ya later, you criminal." He was still laughing as he hung up the phone. I shook my head, but couldn't help grinning. I missed hanging out with my best friend.

I turned to Charlie, who still looked confused. I grinned as I said, "Well, Dad, it's your lucky day! You better get out those rusty old handcuffs. You get to arrest me after all!"

* * *

The drive to the Port Angeles bus station was unusual. Most of the time, car rides with Charlie were rather quiet, but I had to fill him in on Jake's phone call. That, coupled with my teasing about his girlfriend Sue, took up most of the cruiser ride. Luckily, Charlie's cruiser was much cleaner than last time, so I got to ride shotgun.

We got to the bus station with 10 minutes to spare. I sighed with relief. I was afraid, with Charlie's fervent belief in driving 5 miles below the speed limit at all times, that I would miss the bus and be stuck at the station overnight. Granted, I was no speed demon, but I saw no problem with going 60 in a 55 mph zone when I was in a hurry. Charlie, small town police chief that he was, did.

It also helped that it wasn't raining, for the first time in days. Forks had been getting even more rain that usual. Apparently there was even flooding in some parts of Washington because of all the rain. It certainly wasn't sunny today, but I'd take an overcast sky over rain any day.

Luckily, Charlie left the cruiser lights off this time as he pulled smoothly up the curb. He grabbed my suitcase from the back and set it down next to me on the sidewalk. He pulled me into a tight hug. I stepped back first, so I wouldn't start crying. I hated saying goodbye to him.

"Bye Dad. It was good to see you and Sue." My voice warbled slightly as I held back my tears.

Charlie cleared his throat uncomfortably, but gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good to see you too, Bells. Don't be a stranger."

"I won't. I'm coming back on April 1st, remember?" Most of the time, I only saw my dad two times a year. I'd made it up this weekend because I'd had a long weekend. But I was coming to Seattle on March 30th for an advertising conference with my boss. I'd managed to schedule in a day trip to Forks, as well.

"You sure you want to be around Jake on April Fools Day?" Charlie asked.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Probably not, but maybe Leah will keep him in line this year."

"You can only hope." Charlie said seriously but a smile tugged at his lips. He must be remembering last year, when Jacob had rigged the faucet to spray water at my face, replaced my deodorant with cream cheese, and convinced me that I had wrecked the Dream Machine, all in one day. I nearly throttled him, but Leah got to him first. We bonded that day over our mutual hatred of Jacob's pranks. Jacob claimed that was his intention all along.

Leah used to resent me because Jacob had a crush on me during high school. I was oblivious to that fact until the end of senior year, when he asked me out. I told him I thought of him as a brother, not a boyfriend. _That _was a fun conversation. Jacob was crushed and I felt terrible. We didn't speak during my first two years of college. Then, the summer before my junior year, I was back in Washington—doing an internship in Port Angeles for the summer—and we became friends again.

Around that same time, he met Leah. Our renewed friendship did not go over well with her. It wasn't until last year that our relationship improved. I learned that despite having a jealous streak, Leah was loyal, funny (in a sarcastic way), and wise. She was a wonderful person—and perfect for Jacob. They got married on May Day—a month after the April Fools incident—and Leah was pregnant a few months later. They were both so excited about the baby. I hoped desperately the rest of the pregnancy would go smoothly, both for their sakes and for Billy—who was eagerly anticipating his new grandchild.

Unfortunately for Charlie, he wouldn't be getting _any_ grandchildren, at least if my luck with the male species was any indication. As I waved him off at the station, I felt a little sorry for him—I knew he was a bit jealous of Billy. Of course, if Charlie married Sue, he and Billy could share a grandchild, since Leah is Sue's daughter. I smirked. I wonder how Billy would feel about that.

Finally, the bus pulled up to the station and I stepped—or, more accurately, tripped—up the stairs onto the bus, behind the other passengers. I went all the way to the back of the bus. It was my favorite place, for some reason, and I always sat in the last row of seats if I could.

As I settled into my seat, I wrinkled my nose in distaste. I'm not generally a picky person, but I hate buses. Yet, I always ride the one up to visit Charlie. Don't ask me why. I suppose I'm a creature of habit. Jacob always wonders why I don't take a train or a plane, but in my book that isn't much better (and it's more expensive). The bottom line is that I dislike public transportation, but unfortunately my truck isn't up for the journey. I don't even want to think about how much gas it would eat up going from Phoenix to Forks and back. It would probably die half-way through California anyway.

After shifting around uncomfortably for a few minutes—thoroughly annoying the uptight businessman who sat beside me—I drifted off to sleep. It had been an early morning. When I woke up, we were getting close to Seattle...and the business man had moved to another seat. I hope I hadn't been sleep talking again. That would be horribly embarrassing.

I looked out the window as the bus rumbled along. It was a long trip back. The first main stop was Seattle, then onto Portland. I was planning to meet up with Alice for dinner there before I continued on towards Arizona.

Alice was my college roommate and best girl friend (Jacob filled the male best friend role). She was bouncy and pushy, but also extremely cheerful and caring. What she lacked in height, she made up for in enthusiasm. She literally ate up life. She spent a lot of time vibrating in place.

I often wondered how we became best friends. We were so _different_. I had a talent for fading into the woodwork...and I liked it that way. She, despite her short stature, had a talent for making herself known. She was fast becoming the most successful events planner in Portland, which didn't surprise me a bit. People were drawn to her and seemed to known instinctively that they were in good hands when she was in charge.

I loved Alice to death, but I had to admit I was more than a little jealous of her. She was successful at everything, it seemed, and I just...well..._failed_. My career, while it hadn't flopped, was not a great success. I was a junior editor for the advertising section of the _Phoenix Tribune_. Don't ask me how I ended up in that position. I hated advertising. But, apparently, even advertisements needed to be proofread. It was the best offer I had, so I took the position with the promise that I would be moved to a better position in a different department when a position opened up.

My first relationship hadn't gone much better. Mike was a decent guy, but there was no spark between us. He got more clingy and more puppy-dog-like every day. After a month, I broke it off, and a week later another girl had caught his eye. Alice, on the other hand, had met Jasper our senior year of college and they had been together ever since. Jasper was a wonderful man and he and Alice--polar opposites though they were--worked perfectly together. He was the calm lake to her maelstrom. They shared an apartment in Portland and I knew it was only a matter of time before he proposed.

I wanted to find someone like that. Who could be the missing piece to my puzzle. I wanted someone to make my world _brighter_. It wasn't that I wasn't happy--I was, mostly. But not the way Alice was. She absolutely glowed when Jasper was around.

Suddenly, the bus screeched to a halt, pulling me out of my musings. I realized we were at the Seattle station. There was a layover here in Seattle, so I had time to get out and use the bathroom. Of course, in typical Bella fashion, my bag got stuck under my seat and I had to struggle with it for a minute before it came loose. I hurried to get off the bus.

The first leg of my journey back to Phoenix was complete. So far the trip back was nothing out of the ordinary...until I saw _him_.

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**Author's note**: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's just the beginning and things might feel a little slow, but they will get much more exciting, if you give it a chance!

Please review, even if it's just to say "Keep writing!" or "This is great/okay/terrible." I'm up for positive and negative feedback. I would love to hear from you and to know if you would like me to continue. This is my first fanfic, so a little guidance would be much appreciated! I promise that if you review, I will respond.


	2. Looking for Forever

**Looking for Forever (Edward's POV)**

Esme was practically in tears. I felt guilty. I hadn't been home in over two years. Med school had been so busy and traveling home from Chicago just never seemed feasible. Now that I had moved back to Portland, Oregon, I hoped I would see more of my parents, though they were still several hours away.

"It was wonderful to see you, Edward," Esme whispered as she pulled me into a hug. "Thank you for coming up for our anniversary. I know how busy you are, with moving and starting your residency."

"Of course I came, Mom. I love seeing you. Now that I'm back in the Northwest, I couldn't miss your anniversary." I hugged her one last time before getting in the Mercedes so Carlisle could drive me to the station. The bus station, to be precise. Ugg. My nose wrinkled in distaste at the thought. Public transportation. I would much rather be in my Volvo, sailing down the highway at eighty (okay, _maybe_ ninety..._possibly_ a hundred) miles an hour. A bus going fifty just didn't cut it.

My father laughed quietly as we pulled out of the driveway. "You're quite a snob when it comes to travel, Edward," he chuckled. He always could read my mind.

I raised my eyebrows at him, gesturing to the expensive car that surrounded us. He blushed slightly and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I admit, I am too. I _did_ offer to drive you back to Portland."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "No way, Dad, it's your _anniversary_. You shouldn't to be on the road all day. What would Mom say?"

"She'd say 'go for it,' since it meant we got to see you." He cleared his throat. "Chicago gets to feeling awfully far away, Edward. We've missed you." He frowned at the dashboard, his eyes downcast. He looked so sad.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't know what to say. I had unconsciously pulled away from my parents during college and med school. I immersed myself in my studies, hoping to escape how lonely I felt. I called less often and I rarely came home. I always had an excuse—this big exam, that great internship opportunity....

I felt like I was always searching for something more but I always failed to find it. Talking to Esme and Carlisle, who were so happy—so _fulfilled_—was difficult for me. I felt empty much of the time. I hoped that becoming a doctor like Carlisle—dedicating myself to saving lives—would bring me the happiness my parents had. It had, to a certain extent, but I still felt like a puzzle that was put together incorrectly. I didn't know _why_ I felt that way. I just did.

It was only this past summer—when I began my residency in Chicago—that I realized I wanted to come home. I missed my family...and I'd grown up enough to realize that avoiding them wasn't going to solve my problem. In fact, it seemed to make my puzzle of a life more jumbled. I'd come to realize just how lonely I was. The friends I made in Chicago came and went--more like acquaintances, really. I never found anyone there who was worth holding onto. Granted, I was studying or working much of the time, but I never met anyone that I just..._clicked_ with.

It didn't help that my older brother Emmett was so happy. He had tons of friends and a successful job. Then, about six months ago, he met Rosalie. Emmett was always a one-night stand, girlfriends-that-lasted-a-week kind of guy. He never betrayed any of them--and he was always clear about what he was in it for (the sex). Then, he met Rosalie, who was drop dead gorgeous, incredibly smart, and--to top it all off--knew more about cars than he did. They were completely in love. While Emmett was helping me move into my new apartment, he confided that he was planning to propose to Rose soon. He wanted my approval and I gave it willingly. I was extremely happy for my brother, but also extremely jealous. He was truly _happy_. He wasn't _lonely_.

Once I made up my mind to move back, I considered moving to Seattle--which was quite close to my parents' house--but settled on Portland. I loved Portland and Emmett lived there. It was close enough that I could visit my parents on the weekends, but I wouldn't have them dropping by unexpectedly and seeing my (already rather messy) apartment. So I had transferred—with high recommendations—to a hospital in Portland at the beginning of January.

Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to come home for Christmas—I was still tying up loose ends in Chicago—but I made it home in time to take the bus up mid-January for my parents' anniversary. My Volvo hadn't done well on the drive from Chicago to Portland. It was currently being examined by Rosalie (Emmett swore she could work magic on anything with a motor), which meant I was stuck taking the bus. Normally, I would have waited until my car was fixed, but I wanted to see my parents again--badly--and it was, after all, their anniversary. I hadn't realized until this weekend how much my absence had affected them. Esme's tears really hit home.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I said, knowing it wasn't close to enough to make up for the last eight years.

"You don't need to apologize, Edward. We just…we missed you—your mother especially." Carlisle's eyes turned playful—I could tell he was trying to lighten the tone of the conversation. "You know, she's hoping a girl will catch your eye, the way Rosalie caught Emmett's."

"Really?" I choked out, half laughing. Esme--though she tried to restrain herself--was a matchmaker at heart.

His eyes darted from the road over to me. They were shining with mischief. "Yes. She keeps asking me why someone as perfect as _her son_," a smile tugged at his lips, "doesn't have a girl."

I rolled my eyes. "I could have _had_ plenty of girls in college and med school, dad. I just didn't want them like that." My jaw clenched as I remembered all the girls who had thrown themselves at me--sometimes quite literally--before they even knew my name.

Carlisle's eyes softened. "Esme doesn't mean it that way, Edward. She just…wants you to be happy, the way we are. To find someone who makes you smile. You're serious so much of the time."

My throat closed up at his words. I looked away from him, staring out my window as the world rushed by. My voice was tinged with sadness when I finally spoke. "I don't…I don't think I'll ever have what you have, Dad. The only girls I know are either just distant friends or—excuse the language—trying to get in my pants."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows, then spoke in a voice that imitated Emmett's perfectly. "And, dude, that's a _bad_ thing?"

I laughed, but sobered quickly. "I'm not looking for one night stands or casual girlfriends like Emmett is—or was, before he met Rosalie. I'm just...I'm not interested in that kind of relationship. I'm looking for…" I struggled to think of the right word, "…_forever_. I haven't found that yet. Not even close." I gazed intently at my lap, unable to look at my father.

Carlisle stopped the car and stared at me intently. I looked around, realizing that we had arrived at the Seattle station. He put his hand on my shoulder as I turned to look at him.

"You'll find your forever, Edward," he said softly. "And—trust me—it's worth waiting for."

I smiled weakly, though my head was full of doubts. "I hope so, Dad." I answered.

I ran my hands nervously through my hair again as he cleared his throat. We hadn't had a heart-to-heart like this in years. It felt good, if a little awkward.

"Tell Emmett and Rosalie we say hi," he said, breaking the silence.

"Can I make them feel guilty for not coming with me?" I asked, only half-joking.

Carlisle laughed. "Don't do that. Seeing you was wonderful enough." He pulled me into a hug. "Thanks for coming, Edward."

"Anytime, Dad. I'm…I'm sorry I didn't come back to visit more often."

He waved my apology away. "I know how med school gets. You're back now…that's what matters."

I smiled at him as I exited the car, shutting the door gently behind me. I was always careful with nice cars. They deserve to be treated well. I grabbed my bag and started walking towards the station entrance.

"Edward!" Carlisle called after me.

I turned around. He had the window rolled down. "Yes?" I asked.

"Enjoy the bus ride," he laughed.

I made a face at him.

"My offer still stands, you know."

I shook my head, waving him away. "Go on, get home, Dad. I know you've got some fabulously romantic gesture planned for this evening and I don't think you want to miss it."

Carlisle smiled in acknowledgement, waved one last time, and pulled away from the curb.

I paid for my ticket and sat down on a bench outside to wait. I could see other passengers through a glass window, sitting in the waiting area. Some of them were watching a television monitor, where it looked like a reporter was discussing some flooding going on in another part of Washington. I considered going inside, but I was enjoying the fresh air. It had been rainy almost every day since I flew home from Chicago, so an overcast sky (rather than a downpouring one) was strangely refreshing. I chuckled. We Northwesterners (the region, not my alma mater), sure do have a strange definition of "refreshing weather."

I smiled as I watched a group of elderly couples sitting together. They were all laughing. I wondered if I'd ever be like them one day. Happy, with many friends, and in love.

I thought about my family and sighed. My parents were still madly in love…_Emmett_, of all people, was in love…and I was a lonely bachelor, destined to grow old alone in a small apartment.

_Maybe I should get a dog_, I mused. Then I could be a slightly less lonely bachelor, destined to grow old in a small apartment with a dog. I shook my head. That didn't sound much better.

I shook myself, trying to change the path my one-track mind kept taking. I knew I was wallowing. Hell, at this point, I was a _pro _at wallowing. Really, I should have become a professional wallower instead of going for my M.D. I snickered to myself--maybe that degree would have kept all those useless, empty-headed girls away. On the other hand, it would probably keep all the nice girls away too. Not that I'd met all that many nice girls yet.

I felt stupid, but I was tired of waiting, tired of looking for a girl who could make my heart beat fast. I felt like I would never find someone--and I felt stupid for hinging my life on that.

Just then, a bus pulled up and I saw _her_.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope you liked meeting Edward. Things will get more interesting now. For the next few chapters, the story is going to switch between Edward and Bella's point of view, although with the exception of one chapter, they will not be covering the same scenes.

Please review and let me know how I'm doing. I truly appreciate it, especially because it's my first fanfic. I will reply. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You have no idea how much that meant to me.


	3. Awkward Bathroom Moments

**Awkward Bathroom Moments (Bella's POV)**

After finally freeing my bag, I rushed towards the front of the bus and turned to walk down the steps.

And then, a supreme moment of Bella klutziness occurred.

The universe said, "Well, Bella, you haven't looked absolutely ridiculous yet today, so it's high time to pay up, kid."

_Stupid universe._

I tripped and fell down all the bus steps, landing hard on the pavement. I barely had time to break my fall with my hands.

_Ouch._

_Why hello there, ground, long time, no see._

Personally, I think asphalt should be banned. I can't count the number of times I've spilled blood because of it.

Through a haze of pain, I heard the bus driver call, "You okay, lady?" He sounded like he couldn't care less.

Shakily, I raised my head to look at him. "Yeah, don't worry about it. This happens all the time." He nodded, smirked at me slightly, and drove off to park the bus temporarily. _What a polite and pleasant man_, I thought sarcastically. _Yet another reason why I dislike public transportation._

"Are you sure you're all right?"

The voice was like puréed velvet. Soft and smooth and utterly beautiful. _An angel's voice_, my still-hazy mind decided.

I turned my head slowly—knowing I would be disappointed with what I saw. No face could live up to that voice.

Boy, was I wrong.

My world froze for a second…and then spun off its axis, disregarding the sun.

My heart stopped for a moment…and then began beating in double time.

My brain shut down for an instant…and then started sending signals out of control.

He was beautiful. Insanely, perfectly, utterly, and completely breathtaking. I couldn't even decide where to look first, but I felt his brilliant green eyes on me and found myself falling into them. It was like drowning in a sea of springtime.

His eyes pinned me in place. I stopped breathing, as my heart fluttered and took on new life. In that instant, I felt like he saw me. He didn't see through me. _He saw me._

And then the moment was gone. He blinked and I looked down, blushing. I vaguely recalled that he had asked me a question.

"Um, what—w-what did you say?"

He cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot, before kneeling down beside me. I couldn't help admiring his jaw line as it came closer. "I, uhm…I asked if you were okay. You took quite a fall." He was examining me intently.

I laughed lightly. "Yeah…I'm fine. I'll probably be a bit bruised, but this? This is nothing. I'm a complete klutz. I fall on a daily basis. All the ER doctors know me back home. I'm in there at least a couple times a mouth. I mean, I can't count the number of times I've broken bones...well, I probably could but it would take a really long time and..." I realized I was babbling nervously, so I trailed off, blushing even more brightly. I started to get up, trying to prove that I was okay.

"Let me see your hands," he said abruptly.

"What?" God, he must think I'm an imbecile—I keep asking him to repeat himself.

He smiled at me gently. "Your hands. Let me see them."

I looked down at hands, realizing they were scraped and bloody. _Oh. Ow. _I looked away quickly from the blood to avoid getting dizzy--I definitely don't do well with blood and gore.

I put my hands behind my back, and then slowly rose to my feet. I winced. I was going to be bruised all over tomorrow. "Honestly," I repeated. "I'm totally fine. I'll just go wash up and I'll be as good as new."

"Please let me help?" he pleaded. He looked so adorable, I almost gave in.

_Why are you being so nice to me?_ I wanted to ask. _Beautiful people like you don't talk to people like me._ Instead, I shook my head and stayed silent.

Miraculously, he persisted. "Don't make me play the doctor card," he said warningly.

"The doctor card?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He blushed lightly. At least I wasn't the only one. But I couldn't help admiring the flush on his cheeks…and then I moved to looking at his nose…and his lips. I realized those lips were currently moving. I shook myself and tried to pay attention to what he was saying: "I'm…I'm in my first year as a resident. I just want to make sure you're okay. Purely for medical reasons."

_Purely for medical reasons._ Of course. He would never pay attention to me otherwise. He would never be interested in someone as plain and boring as Bella Swan.

I sighed and held out my hands. It was still nice that he cared, whatever his reasons. He reached out to hold my left hand gently in his. My nerves sang at his touch. I felt like my veins were made of liquid _warmth_. I trembled all over. My breath caught in my throat.

I thought I heard his breath hitch as well, but quickly dismissed the notion. He examined my hands for a minute. I couldn't help wishing he would continue on and examine the rest of me.

He smiled at me and I melted all over. Alice said I was an ice queen around men…but one smile from him and I had gone from ice queen to steam queen. I was surprised that I wasn't a large steaming puddle on the pavement.

_Snap out of it, Bella,_ I thought. _You're not the Wicked Witch of the West. And he sure isn't Dorothy._

Unbidden, my mind responded, _And it's a really, **really** good thing that he isn't Dorothy_. _He's a he...a boy...no, a man, definitely a man. And a doctor, which is oh so much better..._

Even my mind was flustered. I think some (or maybe _all_) of my brain cells had gone wacky, just from looking at him. I sounded just like those boy-crazy girls back in high school that I'd always looked down on.

Clearly this guy was bringing out my inner teenager. _Whoa_, I thought, _I didn't even know she existed!_

Yet again, I had to shake myself and concentrate on what he was saying.

"Your cuts don't look too bad—just shallow, I think. But…umm…if you don't mind…maybe we should find a restroom to clean out your cuts? I wouldn't…you wouldn't want any of them to get infected. Once we do that I can see if I can find some antibiotic ointment to put on them." He looked at me hopefully, smiling slightly.

"That would be great!" My voice came out squeaky and overly enthusiastic. I was _so_ transparent.

I cleared my throat and tried again. "Let's go see if we can find a restroom." _Are all doctors this thorough about minor cuts?_ I wondered. I didn't care. _He was coming with me to the bathroom._

That sentence made the situation sound so much dirtier than it actually was.

"I think I saw the signs for them over that way." He gestured toward the other side of the station building and then asked, "Are you on the bus to Portland?"

"Yes," I said. "Seattle was just a stop. Are you going to Portland too?"

"Yeah," he smiled at me, which made butterflies erupt in my stomach. "Looks like we have a few minutes, then. Let's go."

He quickly picked up my bag, although he was already shouldering his. I opened my mouth to protest, but then remembered I had bloody hands. He began walking in the direction of the restrooms. I walked by his side.

I took the chance to admire him more thoroughly. I gazed up at him—he was tall, probably about 6'2''. His body was clearly muscular, but he wasn't too built up. He looked …leonine. His face was beautiful—perfectly proportioned, with a strong jaw. _He has cute ears_, I realized. They looked a bit small on him, and thus utterly adorable. And his hair. Oh, _his hair_. It was an unusual color...it almost looked bronzed. It was messy and unruly, as though he often ran his fingers through it in frustration. Somehow, in all its imperfection, it was perfect. Just like the rest of him.

Just then, he turned to me and grinned crookedly. I felt myself smile automatically in response.

"I should probably introduce myself." He said in his velvety-smooth voice. "I'm Edward Cullen."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen." I said. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to ask for his name sooner. _Edward_. It fit him.

The tips of his adorable ears turned pink. "Just call me Edward…my dad's Dr. Cullen."

"Your father is a doctor, too?" My goodness, it was a family business.

He laughed. "Yep…it's a family affair."

His laugh made my heart do strange things.

He looked at me inquiringly. I realized I had yet to introduce myself.

"I'm Bella." I said. I held out my hand for him to shake, then realized it was bloody. We laughed awkwardly at my misstep.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Edward said, opening the door to the female restroom.

"You're sure you won't get in trouble, coming in here? People are going to wonder what you're up to." I said teasingly, gesturing toward the sign.

Edward shrugged. "They'll probably just assume we're having sex," he blurted out. He choked suddenly and turned the approximate shade of a lobster.

If he looked like a lobster, then I looked like a fire engine. _I can't believe he just said that_, I thought. _If only it were true_.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry." Edward apologized. "I--I can't believe I said that…we can prop the door open if you want…I honestly—I didn't meant to imply anything."

_Damn._

He seemed so flustered. I couldn't help laughing a bit. "It's fine, Edward. Don't worry about it. I don't mind…although we might need to leave the door open because it looks like the light's broken. We won't be able to see." I said, noticing that there was no bulb in the socket.

"Okay." He sounded relieved that the door would stay open. He quickly positioned a concrete block on the floor so that it could act as a doorstop.

_Of course he's relieved, Bella_, I scolded myself, sighing internally. _Why would he want to be in the dark with **you**? You are absolutely ordinary and he is...extraordinary._

I realized I must have sighed aloud, because Edward was looking at me questioningly.

"I was...uh...I was just thinking that this bathroom doesn't look very sanitary," I improvised quickly. It was true though...it was what Alice and I referred to as a "gas station bathroom." We tried to avoid them if at all possible.

Edward grimaced. "You're right...but I guess this is as good as it's going to get." He beckoned me over to the sink and turned on the water. He grabbed a paper towel and began gently sponging my cuts. I turned my head away from the blood, wincing slightly when it stung.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. I just want to make sure I get all the dirt out." Edward explained softly. His voice made me feel safe.

"No--it's okay. Thank you for taking care of me. I probably wouldn't have been this careful...I don't always take care of my injuries as well as I should."

"Why not?" Edward asked, then cringed slightly, seeming to think he had overstepped. "I'm sorry--I don't mean to be pushy...it's just...you seem like a fairly responsible person, and you said you're fairly used to injury..."

I shrugged. "I'm better at taking care of other people, I guess. I watch out for my mom a lot. My dad too, although he's a little more responsible. I look after myself, but I concentrate more on, well, other people." I was being strangely frank. I wasn't usually this revealing, especially with people I had just met. But something about Edward made me want to tell him everything about myself.

"You're selfless." Edward said simply. I didn't reply. I wasn't sure what to say to that. I thought he was far more selfless than I was. He was the one helping me, after all.

A comfortable silence settled over us. It was strange. It felt just like my companionable silences with Charlie, only slightly more...electrically charged.

"There." Edward said, releasing my hands. I missed his touch immediately.

Edward leaned over, unzipping his bag. "Let me just see if I can find that antibiotic ointment...it must be in here somewhere."

I couldn't help admiring his back as I wondered who, besides Edward, said words like _antibiotic ointment_ on a regular basis. Most people said _salve_ or _Neosporin_ or something. Edward said _antibiotic ointment_. Well, I guess he was a doctor, after all. I swallowed a giggle that was threatening to erupt.

"Ha! Here it is!" he exclaimed, pulling out a tube. A charge sang through me when he reached for my hands again. He gently applied the salve--oh, excuse me, _antibiotic ointment--_to my cuts.

I looked up and realized suddenly how close he was standing to me. I watched his shoulders rise and fall with each breath he took.

"I don't think I have any bandages with me unfortunately...but if you're careful, you'll be okay until we reach Portland and then we can look for some."

I liked the way he said _we_. "Do you have a layover there, as well?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I actually just moved to Portland. You don't live there?"

"No." _Although now I wish I did._ "I live in Phoenix. Portland's just another stop along the way."

"Oh." His face fell. I wondered why. _It couldn't be because of me._

The silence that followed was uncomfortable. I shifted from foot to foot while Edward fiddled with the tube in his hands.

"Umm...do you want to head back to the waiting area, now?" Edward inquired. He seemed nervous for some reason.

I felt excited that he wanted me to come back with him, but my bladder had other ideas.

"Actually, um...I kind of...I need to use the bathroom first," I confessed.

"Oh. Okay." Edward stood there for another minute. He looked so cute. _Why couldn't he live in Phoenix?_ I thought.

Suddenly, Edward seemed to realize that this was, in fact, the women's bathroom. "Umm...I'll just go then," he said quickly. "Can you carry your bag okay?"

"Yeah," I said. Suddenly, I didn't want him to leave. I was hoping maybe he would wait for me or invite me to sit with him on the bus.

"It was nice meeting you, Bella," he added. It sounded like a dismissal. He quickly disappeared through the doorway.

My heart dropped. Obviously I was just a waste of his time. I was so disappointed. I felt tears start prickling in my eyes. _Damn it_, I thought. _Why am I crying?_

I knew why. I had never felt this way before. Certainly not with Mike. And it felt...amazing. I was giddy and tingling all over. I just wanted to be able to see Edward's smile. I wanted to know everything about him and I wanted to tell him everything about me. I wanted to share my world with him. And I wanted to know that he was mine, somehow.

But Edward was unattainable in every way. Even if, by some miracle, he liked me in return--and his quick exit pretty much convinced me that he didn't--he lived in Portland and I lived in Phoenix. And after today, I would never see him again.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So Bella and Edward have met! Next chapter is Edward's POV of their meeting.

Thank you for reviewing! I'm going to thoroughly embarrass myself and admit that I did a happy dance around my room when I saw the reviews. ;) If you haven't reviewed, I would love it if you would. If you're not a member, you can submit anonymous reviews (but if you have an account, you should log in, so I can reply). Every review or person putting this story on their alert or favorite list made me smile. I especially want to know what you all think of this chapter, so please let me know!


	4. Invisible Emmett

**This is Edward's POV of Chapter 3. I won't do both view points for any other scenes, but I wanted you to hear both Edward and Bella's first impressions of each other.**

**Invisible Emmett (Edward's POV)**

I sank back down on the bench I where I had been sitting before I met _her_. _**Bella**_.

_You're such an idiot, Edward._ I thought to myself, as I reflected on the events of the last ten minutes. _A complete and utter idiot._

* * *

I had been watching the passengers get off the bus from Port Angeles. It appeared that everyone had exited, so I was wondering why the bus hadn't pulled forward yet. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young woman was taking a spectacular fall down the bus steps.

I rushed over immediately, concerned that she might have broken something. I was just in time to hear the bus driver's indifferent question and her reply.

I swear her simple words were imprinted on my brain: _Yeah, don't worry about it. This happens all the time._

Her voice was like bells. She was on the ground, looking towards the bus as she spoke. I longed for her to turn her head my way, but I also dreaded it. I knew after that voice, her face would be a disappointment.

I was wrong.

She turned toward me a moment after the words "Are you sure you're all right?" exited my mouth.

My whole body froze. She wasn't merely _all right_…she was exquisite.

She wasn't showy and gorgeous, like Rosalie. She was beautiful in an entirely different way. A softer way. Her face was heart-shaped, her upper lip slightly fuller than her lower. _She has a cute nose_, I realized. Her brown hair fell gently around her shoulders.

But it was her eyes that caught my attention. I felt like I could see her soul through them. They were so expressive…so _deep_. I often found that brown eyes looked glassy, but hers were alight with warmth. For an instant, I felt like I was flying or sinking into them. It was hard to tell which.

I blinked. The sensation was so strange, yet wonderful. Strangely wonderful. I was prepared to drive back into her eyes again, but she looked down and blushed. I have never been so enamored of a blush.

And then she spoke again. "Um, what—w-what did you say?" Hearing her voice felt like sinking down into a bubble bath.

I shifted from foot to foot, trying to recall what I had said. _Oh! Right. I was worried because she fell._ I cleared my throat, trying to make my voice work. "I, uhm…I asked if you were okay. You took quite a fall," I said. I knelt down beside her, looking her over for any obvious signs of injury.

I rejoiced internally when she said she was all right. Her bell-like voice was still speaking about being a klutz, but I was busy looking at her hands, which were covered in blood. She began to get up.

"Let me see your hands." I said harshly, too concerned about her to be polite. Nothing should mar her soft beauty.

"What?" she asked. I realized I had all but snapped at her. _Oh, wow, Edward, way to get her to like you. She must think you're a complete psycho now._

I repeated my unintentionally harsh demand in a softer tone. She looked down at her hands. Clearly she hadn't realized she was hurt. But she didn't give into my request. She put her hands determinedly behind her back and kept refusing my help.

_Of course she doesn't want your help, Edward._ A voice that sounded oddly like my brother Emmett's sounded in my head. _You're freaking her out, man._

I softened my demand further, turning it into a request. "Please let me help?" It came out pleadingly.

_Edward, what's wrong with you, man?_ My internal dialogue continued to sound like Emmett. _Why are you being so insistent? It's not normal. She's a girl, man. You dislike most girls. I never understood why, since you do like them in principle, but…_

_But I like __**this**__ girl_. I argued back. Great. Now I was having an internal argument. Then I realized what I had said, or rather, thought.

_I __**do**__ like this girl_, I realized. I was attracted to her, though I didn't even know her name. I wanted her to like me. _Fat chance of that happening_, I thought.

I noticed that this girl—or woman, rather—was biting her lip, in what looked like indecision. Then she shook her head…but she looked like she wanted to say yes to my plea. _Maybe she's not freaked out,_ I thought hopefully. _Maybe she just doesn't want to bother me. _That would be a new one. Most women went out of their way to bother me.

Once again, words exited my mouth, bypassing my brain. "Don't make me play the doctor card," I said.

_Come on Edward,_ my internal Emmett scolded. _The doctor card? Really? Is that your version of a pick-up line? Dude, that's really lame._

The brunette woman raised her eyebrows. "The doctor card?" she asked teasingly.

I flushed. "I'm…I'm in my first year as a resident," I explained. "I just want to make sure you're okay. Purely for medical reasons."

My internal Emmett snorted. _Yeah, __**sure**__, it's purely for medical reasons. I think it's 'cause you liiikke her. Eddie likes a __**girl**__._

Great. Now even my own brain was calling me Eddie. I ignored the voice, hoping it would go away, concentrating instead on the woman in front of me.

She looked disappointed, for some reason, but she held out her hands. Internally, I rejoiced at this development. I moved to examine her hands, but froze as I gently cradled her hands in mine.

I felt like electricity had just invaded my veins. I was warm all over. My heart started beating out of control as my breath caught. I could tell the woman was looking at me, but I gazed down at our entwined hands. Gently, I examined her hands, pondering my strange reaction to her touch.

_Who are you?_ I wanted to ask. _What are you doing to me?_

Part of me wanted to high-tail it out of there, away from this beautiful woman who made me feel so strange…so _alive_. The other part of me wanted to keep holding her hands. That part wanted to know absolutely everything about her.

The second part was definitely winning.

I couldn't help smiling at her and getting lost in her eyes again. When she smiled back at me, my heart flipped over.

I definitely wanted to get to know her better, I decided. With that in mind, I offered to help make sure her cuts were okay. I hoped I didn't look or sound too much like a begging puppy dog. I certainly felt like one. Already, I was half prepared to follow her anywhere.

I was surprised when she said yes. She seemed so self-sufficient, I thought she would refuse. But her response was enthusiastic. It made me happy.

"Let's go see if we can find a restroom," she said.

My internal Emmett waggled his eyebrows as my mind started conjuring up things we could do once we found it. _Stop it, Edward_, I chastised myself. _What's wrong with you? You don't even know her name. Or anything about her, for that matter._

"I think I saw the signs for them over that way." I pointed. I hope I didn't sound _too_ excited when I said that. _I **need** to find out more about her,_ I thought.

It was with that thought in mind that I asked, "Are you on the bus to Portland?"

I couldn't help grinning when she said yes. _Maybe I can sit next to her_, I thought.

She asked if I was on the bus too, and looked happy when I replied in the affirmative.

"Looks like we have a few minutes, then," I said happily. "Let's go." I grabbed her bag for her. I could tell she was about to protest, but she wisely closed her mouth. I wouldn't have let her carry it anyway. I'd happily carry twenty bags for her, if she had them.

_Whoa, Eddie._ Great. Emmett was back._ Slow down there, bud. That's kind of a big commitment, carrying twenty bags. _I couldn't even tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Suddenly, I realized I was trying to figure out if a voice _in my own head_--which sounded oddly like my _brother_--was being sarcastic. Okay. I had officially gone insane. Off the rocker. It was a _really_ good thing the woman beside me couldn't see inside my brain.

I glanced down at her. She appeared to be giving me a once over. I couldn't help doing the same.

She was fairly short—at least compared to me. About 5'4'' would be my estimate. Her beautiful hair fell gracefully past her shoulders. She was wearing jeans and sneakers—clearly dressed for comfort, not fashion—and not an ounce of make-up. I liked that. Most of the girls I knew seemed to think short skirts and loads of make-up were attractive. They were wrong, or I at least thought so. I guess I went for a more natural look. I hadn't realized that until I'd met her.

_Her_. I was tired of referring to this woman as _her_. I wanted to know a name. Well, I wanted to know everything about her, but I was willing to start with a name.

I decided to introduce myself first, hoping it would seem more polite.

When she said, "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen." I couldn't help shivering. I'd never much liked being referred to as "Dr." outside of the hospital, but it sounded lovely coming from her.

Invisible Emmett waggled his eyebrows even more furiously. I tried to shove him out of my head.

I still wanted her to call me Edward though, so I told her that Dr. Cullen was my father.

"Your father is a doctor, too?" She sounded curious about me.

"Yep," I laughed lightly. "It's a family affair."

I remembered my original intention in starting this conversation. Mission: _find out her name_. I looked at her expectantly.

"I'm Bella," she said, seeming to realize what I wanted. I smiled to myself. _Bella_. A beautiful name to go with a beautiful girl.

_Come on, now, Eddie. That was one cheesy line. You can do better than that, man._ It was the Emmett-voice, yet again.

Bella was holding out her hand for me to shake, but then she realized it was bloody. We laughed nervously. I felt like a teenage boy with his first crush.

Recalling the original purpose of this journey, I noticed we had reached the restroom doors. I debated briefly which restroom to enter, deciding on the female one. I didn't want to make Bella uncomfortable.

"Let's get you cleaned up." I said as I opened the door. Luckily, the bathrooms were single stalls, so no one else would come in and wonder what I was doing in here. _That would be awkward._

Clearly, Bella seemed to be thinking the same thing. "You're sure you won't get in trouble, coming in here? People are going to wonder what you're up to," she teased.

_She's so cute._ I thought. _Just adorable._ My thoughts were consumed by Bella—that's the only excuse I can give for the next words that exited my mouth.

"They'll probably just assume we're having sex."

I choked, realizing what I had just said. _Wow, Eddie, real smooth. Way to get a girl,_ Emmett chortled_._

Bella turned bright red. I was fairly sure that my face was a similar shade. I wanted to slowly and repeatedly bang my head against the nearest wall.

I tried to repair the damage I had done, although it seemed fairly catastrophic. I was quite surprised Bella hadn't run away screaming.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry," I choked out. _You have no **idea** how sorry I am._ "I--I can't believe I said that…we can prop the door open if you want…I honestly—I didn't mean to imply anything." _Well, at least not intentionally._

I was a stuttering, blundering, sorry mess. _Just please don't make me leave._ I wanted to beg. _I'll do anything._

_Wow, Eddie. You're whipped, man. So whipped. _I really wished this Emmett-voice would shut up.

Strangely, Bella laughed. "It's fine, Edward. Don't worry about it. I don't mind…although we might need to leave the door open because it looks like the light's broken. We won't be able to see," she said, pointing to the empty socket.

Bella was the most intriguing girl I had ever met. She took my comment completely calmly, as though it wasn't a big deal. _She hadn't come on to me __**and**__ she didn't seem to think I was a creep!_

_Wow, Eddie, what an accomplishment,_ inside-my-head-Emmett said sarcastically.

"Okay," I said. I could hear the relief in my voice as I placed a concrete block in front of the door. I didn't care if the door was opened or closed as long as I could continue to get to know her better.

I heard Bella sigh beside me. I looked at her and she answered my unspoken question. "I was...uh...I was just thinking that this bathroom doesn't look very sanitary," she said. I looked around—it was true, but somehow I didn't think that was why she had sighed. But I didn't know her well enough to interrogate her. At least not yet.

I made a face at the lack of cleanliness. What can I say? I'm a doctor. I know a germ-infested area when I see one.

"You're right," I told Bella. "But I guess this is as good as it's going to get." I beckoned her over to the sink as I turned on the water. At least the water _looked_ clean. I was still skeptical as I began gently cleaning her cuts with a paper towel.

I noticed that she seemed to be keeping her gaze away from her hands—and the blood. I was about to ask her about that when she winced.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," I apologized softly. I hated seeing her hurt. I just wanted to wrap her up in a hug and make everything better.

I listened carefully as she replied. "No--it's okay. Thank you for taking care of me. I probably wouldn't have been this careful...I don't always take care of my injuries as well as I should." She sounded slightly regretful.

"Why not?" I couldn't help asking, then wondered if, in my curiousity, I had overstepped. "I'm sorry--I don't mean to be pushy...it's just...you seem like a fairly responsible person, and you said you're fairly used to injury..." I tried to explain. _Please tell me about your life. Tell me anything._

_Wow, Eddie, desperate much?_ Emmett's voice asked rhetorically.

Bella shrugged. "I'm better at taking care of other people, I guess. I watch out for my mom a lot. My dad too, although he's a little more responsible. I look after myself, but I concentrate more on, well, other people."

My heart fluttered at her explanation. I could hear the care in her voice as she talked about her parents. I could see how little she cared for herself by comparison. _You deserve to be looked after_, I wanted to say. But I couldn't, so instead I tried to find the perfect adjective to describe her. When I found it, I spoke it out loud. "You're selfless," I stated simply. Because she was.

We were silent after that, but it was a comfortable silence. The kind of silence you usually only have with people you've known forever.

I concentrated of cleaning her cuts, all the while noticing the charge of electricity that seemed to run from her body to mine.

"There," I said when I finished, reluctantly letting go of her hands. I reached into my bag, searching for my antibiotic ointment. When I found it, I eagerly reached for her hands again, and applied the ointment to her cuts.

The silence was feeling more and more electrically charged. I rambled on, attempting to fill it. "I don't think I have any bandages with me unfortunately…but if you're careful, you'll be okay until we reach Portland and then we can look for some."

I realized I had said _we_. I hoped that would be the case. I really hoped she lived in Portland because I desperately wanted to spend more time with this mysterious, entrancing woman.

My hopes were dashed when she asked, "Do you have a layover there, as well?"

My heart sinking, I answered. "Oh, no. I actually just moved to Portland. You don't live there?"

"No." _Damn_. "I live in Phoenix," she continued. "Portland's just another stop along the way."

"Oh." I was severely disappointed. We stood in silence, fidgeting. I didn't know what else to say. _Of course. I __**would**__ be attracted to a woman who lives in a different city. _

Even Invisible Emmett didn't have any input this time.

Finally, I asked her if she wanted to go back to the waiting area with me. I really hoped she would say yes. _Just because she doesn't live in Portland doesn't mean I can't sit next to her on the bus._

Bella just shook her head. "Actually, um…I kind of…I need to use the bathroom first."

_Great. Clearly she's trying to get rid of you, Edward. You've been way too pushy already. Just leave her alone. Stop bugging her._

"Oh. Okay." I said. She looked at me pointedly. I realized I was standing in the women's restroom. _No wonder she thinks I'm an idiot._ "Umm…I'll just go then," I muttered quickly. "Can you get your bag okay?"

I was hoping she'd say no, so I would have an excuse to sit with her on the bus, but of course she said yes.

I sighed quietly in defeat. "It was nice meeting you, Bella," I said. _You have no idea how nice._ I left without another word. It was obvious she didn't want to talk to me any longer.

I had trudged back over to my bench, completely discouraged. And now I was sitting here, continuing to berate myself and wallow (yet again) in misery. I was getting really good at both activities.

Bella was beautiful and amazing and selfless. I'd never felt toward anyone what I felt toward her. I wanted to know everything about her. I wanted to hold her close. I wanted to take care of her. But clearly that wasn't in the cards.

She didn't like me. She must think I'm an idiot and a bit of a stalker. And if all that wasn't enough, she lived in another city.

_Bad luck, man,_ was Invisible Emmett's contribution.

Bad luck, indeed.

* * *

**Author's Note**: This chapter was fun to write. I know the ending was a bit depressing, but in the next chapter things will look up. I hope you enjoyed Invisible Emmett (the voice in Edward's head). This is the first time that I understood how characters can take over the story in an unexpected way. Emmett wanted to be introduced before he formally became a part of the story, and thus he appeared. I hope you found it amusing, and not disturbing!

Please review! I appreciate the feedback.


	5. A Game of Truth

**To all my wonderful reviewers, especially those of you who asked if Edward and Bella would get to sit together on the bus.**

**A Game of Truth (Bella's POV)**

After a tearful session in the bathroom, during which time I kept telling myself things like _he's just another guy_ and _it's not normal to like someone this much this fast_ and _he doesn't like you_ _anyway, so get over yourself_, I walked out through the doorway and realized that nearly all the passengers had already boarded the bus to Portland. Just my luck. Somebody had probably taken the backseat already.

I hurriedly grabbed my bag, trying to be careful of my hands. I strangely nervous about getting on the bus. I wondered why.

_Oh, give it up, Bella,_ I told myself tiredly. _You know you're nervous because of __**him**__. Edward. He's __**not**__ just another guy and maybe it's not normal to like someone this fast, but you __**do**__ and you would still like him, even if he doesn't like you._

I sighed. We obviously weren't going to be anything more than strangers who met at a bus station. But there was no point in attempting to live in denial, either. I liked him. A lot. I could easily see myself falling for him. _It would be way too easy,_ I thought.

My stomach was churning with nerves as I—of course—tripped up the bus stairs yet again. I started heading toward my usual place in the back of the bus, while anxiously looking around for a distinctive shade of bronze.

I stopped dead when I finally spotted him. He was in my usual seat. In the back row of the bus. Which also happened to be the row that only had seats on one side. Oh, the irony.

_What should I do? What should I do?_ My mind thought frantically as I stood rooted to the spot. I wanted to sit with him, but I didn't want to force myself upon him. Also, I _liked_ the back of the bus. Part of me didn't want to give up my spot just because of a _guy_.

But I couldn't bear for him to resent me. If I never saw him again, I at least wanted to remember him before he got annoyed with me for bothering him. My mind made up, I was about to slide into a seat in the middle of the bus, when Edward stood up and waved at me, smiling his dazzling smile.

Suddenly, my feet were moving. Before I knew it, I was standing at the back of the bus, gazing at Edward, who was standing there in all his tousle-haired glory. _He looks like he's been running his fingers through it again,_ I thought. _**I**__ want to run my fingers through his hair._ My fingers were jealous of his fingers. How strange.

"Can I sit with you?" I blurted out, before backtracking. "I don't have to, if you want to sit alone, or—"

"No, Bella," Edward interrupted. "Please sit with me. I was hoping you would." He smiled, a crooked grin stretching across his face.

_He was hoping I would sit with him!_ My mind rejoiced. I couldn't believe it_. Maybe he likes me after all. _

I looked into his eyes, which were sparkling with…joy? I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I was weak-kneed.

"Do you prefer the window or the aisle seat, Bella?" Edward asked. _He's such a gentleman,_ my mind gushed.

I bit my lip, considering. I usually liked the window, but I figured he must too and I would do whatever I could to make him happy.

"I'll take whichever you don't want," I said, smiling at him.

Edward shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "Uh-uh. You're not getting out of it that easily. Where do you usually sit?"

When he phrased it like that, it _was_ hard to get out of choosing my seat. If I said the aisle, Edward would probably be able to tell I was lying; I was a horrible liar. But if I told the truth, Edward would give me the coveted window seat and I wanted _him_ to have it.

"I bet you sit by the window," Edward guessed. "You seem like a scenery-watcher."

I just looked at him. "I refuse to tell you." I put my hand on my hip. "You choose your seat and then I'll choose mine."

He looked intrigued, then momentarily pained. But then he turned the full force of his eyes on me and I was a goner. I couldn't resist his eyes.

"_Please_ tell me where you like to sit, Bella?" he pleaded, his eyes boring into mine.

I lost my determination and my train of thought. "Umm…what?" I asked, disoriented.

"Do you like the window or aisle seat, Bella?" He repeated. I felt dizzy from the force of his eyes. His breath was warm on my face as he drew closer to me.

"Win…dow." I breathed, stunned.

Edward drew back from me, smiling in success. "Okay, then," he said simply. He managed to navigate himself around me, so now he was in the aisle, ushering me towards the window seat. He seemed oblivious to how much he was affecting me, which was just as well.

I tried to retract my answer. "I honestly, really, truly don't care though." I gushed, still giddy from his proximity. "I can sit in the aisle. I'd be _happy_ to sit in the aisle. You sit wherever you like."

"Bella," the corner of Edward's lips turned up as he spoke my name. "I don't think you're allowed to actually sit _in_ the aisle. You can sit _along_ it, but _I_ prefer the aisle seat, thanks all the same."

"Then why were you sitting by the window before I got here?" I countered, blushing at my mistake in words.

"Because," he explained patiently, "I was saving it for you."

I felt like grinning. It was just like arguing with Jacob, except that Edward dazzled me and was extraordinarily chivalrous. _Okay_, I admitted to myself, _it's only like arguing with Jacob because we both know the other is bluffing, but we're both too stubborn to give in._ Otherwise, it was completely different. Mostly because I really, _really_ liked Edward. And I liked him more every minute I spent with him.

When it became clear that Edward was not going to give up, I finally conceded. _That_ was a first.

"Fine," I huffed. Edward grinned. I started moving towards the window seat when I tripped—over nothing, of course.

I was falling and then suddenly, I wasn't. Instead, I was wrapped up in a pair of strong arms. _Edward's_ arms, to be precise. My heart was beating wildly as my breathing rate rapidly increased. My nerves sang with excess electricity.

"Careful," Edward's voice cautioned from behind me as I blinked at the floor, which was--amazingly--not going to slam into my face this time. "You really are very clumsy, aren't you?"

Normally, I would have taken offense at this rhetorical question, but it was hard to when Edward spoke so kindly. Also, he was stating a fact that was difficult (okay, _impossible_) for me to debate. And finally (and most importantly), _I was in Edward's arms_.

I gave myself a moment to ponder this amazing occurrence. Besides my obvious physical reaction to his touch, I felt safe in his arms. Cared for. _Right_.

_Bella, you just met the guy. He probably doesn't even like you._

This whole resisting thing _really_ wasn't working. I liked him too much for my own good. _There's no point in having a crush._ _Portland and Phoenix, Bella,_ I reminded myself. _Two cities that are about a 20-hour drive away from each other._

I was pulled back to reality as he set me gently on my feet. I wondered if he could hear my erratic heartbeat, which was pounding out its disjointed rhythm in my eardrums.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," I answered, sounding breathless. His hands were still on my hips. I turned around in his arms to thank him…and suddenly his face was so _close_. He was breathing just as quickly as I was. I felt my gaze flicker from his eyes to his lips, wondering what his next move would be...

...And then the engine started and the bus rumbled beneath us. It broke the moment of…whatever had come between us. I was disappointed--_overly_ disappointed. Edward pushed me gently towards my seat and then sat down beside me, stowing our bags beneath our feet. Most of the luggage was put in a compartment near the bottom of the bus, but Edward and I both had small bags. I guess we had both decided to hang onto them.

"Is that really all you brought for the long weekend?" Edward asked, pointing to my very small duffel bag. He sounded…disbelieving.

I shrugged. "Yeah."

"You didn't find it necessary to…I don't know…pack up several suitcases of clothing and accessories?"

I laughed. "No…that's my best friend Alice. I've never seen her go on a trip, even if it's just overnight, with less than three suitcases. I think her record is seven."

Edward laughed along with me, shaking his head. "That sounds excessive, even for the girls I know. But you pack much more lightly than any girl I know."

I shrugged again. "I _like_ to pack lightly. It means there's less to lug around. Besides, I have a few things at my dad's house—that's who I was visiting. I was mostly slumming around in sweat pants, anyway. My dad doesn't care. And I don't care much about fashion, as you can see," I said, gesturing to my outfit, which consisted of sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt.

Edward smiled at me. "I think I like you better that way."

My insides warmed.

"Do you want to play a game?" Edward asked, eyes shining in excitement.

"What game?" I asked warily. I was always careful about 'games.' Being friends with Jacob taught me that much. April Fools Day certainly wasn't the only time he'd pulled pranks on me.

"Well, it's not exactly a _game_…but...it's called Truth. You just…you ask each other questions. You take turns, but you're allowed to ask follow-up questions before the next person goes. You have to answer truthfully. If you don't want to answer, you pass, but if the other person answers your next question, they win."

As soon as he explained the game, I was intrigued. When I want to write a story about someone, I get nosy. The writer/reporter side of me had been itching to pick up a pen and write about Edward since I met him. I longed to know more about him. This provided me with the perfect opportunity to do it without seeming overly inquisitive. Plus, I was most definitely attracted to Edward and simply wanted to get to know him better. "So it's kind of like Truth or Dare, without the dare?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

He laughed. "Yeah, basically. I figure that it's probably the best way to get to know each other and there's not much else to do to pass the time."

"I'll play," I decided. _Of course_ I would play, if it was with him.

"Great!" _Damn_, he had that crooked smile on his face. "Can I ask you a question first?"

I couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm. He must really like games. _Or maybe he really likes you,_ a small voice in the back of my mind hinted. _Not likely,_ another voice argued_._ I pushed the thought away to analyze later.

"You can go first," I said.

"Okay," Edward grinned. "This first one is a real doozy. Tell me," he paused for dramatic effect, "about Alice."

Yet again, I had to hold back a giggle at his use of vocabulary. First _antibiotic ointment_ and now _a real doozy_? I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

"That's not a question." I retorted.

Edward mock glared at me. "Fine," he conceded. "What," he paused yet again for effect, "can you tell me about Alice?"

"She's my best friend." I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

His mock glare turned into a full out glare, although I could still see amusement in his eyes. "Your answer has to be at least two sentences long," he stated triumphantly.

"That's not a rule!" I argued.

"I just made it one! Now answer!" he ordered.

I giggled. I couldn't help it. He sounded like a petulant child.

_He gets impatient easily_, I realized. Yet another detail to add to my growing list of Edward's attributes.

"Fine," I pouted, pretending to glare back at him. I spoke slowly, enunciating my answer. "Alice is my best friend. She likes to pack a lot of clothes."

Edward just looked at me expectantly.

I knew I was provoking him, but I couldn't help myself. I held up two fingers and wiggled them in the air. "That's two sentences," I stated.

Edward just glared.

I burst into giggles. Soon he was laughing too. I hadn't had this much fun in quite some time.

"So is it my turn?" I asked teasingly, when my giggles had partially subsided.

Edward's silly glare returned. "Fine. It's your turn," he conceded. Then his voice turned pleading. "But please, next time, can you just answer? I really want to learn more about you, Bella."

_He wants to know more about me._ I shivered in excitement. "Of course," I found myself saying.

Edward smiled his dazzling crooked smile at me. My insides turned all melty. Steamy Bella was back. "So what's your question?" he asked.

"Why did you decide to become a doctor?" I asked, after a minute of deliberation.

He looked pensive. "Well, partly, it was because of Carlisle, my father," he explained. "I saw what great work he did and how much his patients appreciated him. I also knew that not everyone could be a doctor…but I could, if I put my mind to it."

"Because you're intelligent?" I asked, truly curious. Part of me was itching to pull out a pen and record his answers.

"No," he shook his head. "That's not it. There are many intelligent people who would never do well as doctors--at least not ER doctors, which is what I am. I mean that I have the ability to stay calm in emergency situations. I can…figure out what needs to be done and do it without panicking. My brain doesn't shut down on me. I'm...well, not comfortable...but I can deal with injury and blood. It doesn't faze me."

I gazed at him in awe. I couldn't help it. He was clearly my exact opposite in this area.

He continued, sounding hesitant. "Another reason I decided to become a doctor is because I was...lonely." He seemed almost surprised by his own confession.

"Lonely?" I interrupted. "What do you mean?" He was so amazing...he _must_ have lots of friends. _What if he has a girlfriend?_ I wondered. A chill ran down my spine. It didn't _seem_ like he did, but what did I know?

I listened as Edward explained, "I went to college back in Chicago at Northwestern. The pre-med program was _very_ cutthroat. I had to work really hard to stay near the top of my class. I never really found any close friends. Honestly, my best friends were probably my professors, who were quite wonderful. None of the other pre-med students were all that friendly...or those that were already had friendship groups. I just never really fit in anywhere. My roommate, James, was a womanizer, but we stuck together for all four years because…well, basically because I didn't have any other friends and I put up with him as a roommate."

He sounded so defeated. I wanted to reach out and smooth out the frown that wrinkled his forehead. Instead I gently touched his elbow—covered by his shirtsleeve—in encouragement. It still made my fingertips tingle. Edward smiled at me and continued.

"I thought things might change in med school, but I just always felt like I was on the outside of things. People seemed to have already other friends by the time I was actively looking for them. It felt just like high school--although at least I had some good friends in high school." He sighed. "It didn't help that so many guys were jealous of me because _all_ the girls wanted me..." he trailed off, seeming to realize what he said.

He looked at me in horror. "I'm sorry...that must have sounded so cocky and arrogant. I can't believe I just said that...I keep saying all these awful things around you..." he seemed so upset, burying his head in his hands. All his muscles were tensed, as though waiting for me to yell at him. He ran one hand up and through his hair. _Ah. So that's where the sex hair comes from,_ I thought.

_Concentrate, Bella, _I scolded myself. I put my hand on top of Edward's hand as it rested in his hair, still hyper aware of what simple skin-on-skin contact did to my body. He looked up at me as I drew my hand away and his hands fell to his lap. I saw agony in his brilliant green eyes.

I had to clear my throat before I could speak. "Edward, you _don't_ say awful things around me. We all blurt things out that we don't mean to. I mean, embarrassing incidents happen to me on a daily basis, so trust me, I'm used to it." I smiled slightly.

I watched his muscles relax as I kept speaking. "Besides, Edward...you're kind of..._dazzling_. _Of course_ the girls all wanted you and _of course_ guys were jealous of that." Oops. I wondered if I'd said too much.

Edward made a face. "I _hated_ those girls. They threw themselves at me when they didn't even _know_ me. All they saw was a doctor or a 'gorgeous hunk' or a 'good lay'" he did finger quotations around the words, although I could already tell from his tone of voice that he was quoting someone else, "or just some guy who could pay for their drink."

"James--and some other casual friends--dragged me to more bars than I can count." His hands clenched into fists. "I never got drunk. I'd have a beer, but I never drank more than that because guys were liable to fight with me over girls when they got really drunk." He turned his face away from me, looking down at his lap. "I never liked or wanted _any_ of those girls, but the guys thought I did because a lot of girls approached me." His voice sounded harsh--furious and broken.

Then it turned into a whisper. "None of them actually liked me. None of them even bothered to get to know me. That's all I wanted--friends who wanted me for _me_. That's why I became a doctor. My patients were the only ones who knew me--who asked about _me_. They were the only ones I didn't feel lonely around." The whisper trailed off.

I found myself kneeling in my seat, turned sideways to face him, trying to get him to just _look_ at me. "Edward..." I said desperately. "Please, _please_ look at me," I pleaded.

It worked. He turned toward me, but kept his eyes down. My heart _ached_ for him.

I wanted to tell him that _I_ saw him. I wanted to tell him that I really, _really_ liked him and that I wasn't like those other girls. But I knew, deep down, that I was just like them. I was just one more ordinary girl who wanted a fabulous, amazing man to give her the time of day. And of course, I would be friends with him, even if only for today. I would be there for him. But I would never, ever be good enough to be _with_ him, even if hundreds of miles didn't separate us. Hadn't I thought the very words, barely thirty minutes previous, _he was a doctor, which was oh so much better_? Hadn't I fantasized about his lips before he'd barely said ten words to me? Hadn't I wished that he wanted to be alone in the women's bathroom with me before I even got to know him?

I was as shallow as those other girls. I was just better at hiding it.

So I swallowed my disappointment, ignored my sinking heart, and focused on Edward. He was what mattered. And I would tell him the truths that I could, and keep quiet about the ones that I couldn't. I decided to try lightening the mood, since I couldn't bear to see Edward in any more pain.

"You," I poked him lightly on the nose, smiling slightly at him. His mouth twitched in reply, "are worth getting to know." I continued. "You are worth knowing _everything_ about. I knew that from the very first time I saw you, which is why I am playing a silly game of truth-but-not-dare with you. Because I _want_ to know you. I know many people who would _love_ to get to know you. And anyone who is jealous of you or who just wants you for a 'good lay'" I did the same air quotes he did and made a face before continuing, "is not worth your time. Because they are shallow and stupid and they don't deserve you." _And neither do I,_ I wanted to add, but I kept quiet.

"You, Edward Cullen," I said determinedly, "will make tons of new friends in Portland. You will dazzle some well-deserving girl off her feet. And you will live your own version of a happily ever after."

Edward's mouth twitched. "I dazzle people?" he asked. I could tell he wanted to move away from the topic of his loneliness.

"Oh, yes," I nodded emphatically. "I know dazzling powers when I see them."

"Do I dazzle you?" he asked, leaning towards me.

I was flustered by his question and his proximity, but I managed to choke out an answer that sounded nonchalant. "Oh, no. Reporters are immune to dazzling." What a total, blatant, flat-out, bold-faced lie. I felt guilty. I was already breaking the rules and not telling the truth. But I just _couldn't_ tell him how I actually felt. _He's too good for me_.

"You're a reporter?" Edward asked and another round of Truth was off and running.

* * *

**Author's note**: The idea for the Truth game came to me after reading _The Truth about Forever _by Sarah Dessen, so I credit her with this game. Thank you for all the reviews! Several of you said you prefer to have the chapter titles in the chapter navigation, so voila! I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice. Keep it coming! There's a button right below this sentence. I think you should click it. ;)


	6. Getting to Know You

**Getting to Know You (Edward's POV)**

When I'd left the bathroom, I was positive that Bella disliked me, but by the time I got on the bus, I'd decided to make one last-ditch effort. I sat down at the back row, which had two seats only on the right side. I waited…and waited…and waited. The large group of senior citizens that I'd seen in the waiting area filed on, along with a mother with a young son and a baby. But no Bella.

I was about to go look for her, worried that maybe she'd fallen in the toilet or something (hey, with her luck, it could happen), when I saw her out the window, rushing towards the bus. _Okay_. I coached myself. _All you're going to do is wave. That way, if she wants to sit with you, she can. If not, there are plenty of other seats where she can sit. You won't look desperate. You'll just look like you're being friendly._

_Keep telling yourself that Eddie, _Invisible Emmett sniggered.

I rolled my eyes at myself and waited anxiously as Bella began making her way down the aisle. She looked like she was worrying about something. It was now or never. I stood up and waved. I couldn't help smiling at the sight of her.

And…_she came toward me_. She asked to sit with me. In fact, she seemed worried that _I_ wouldn't want to sit with _her_. As if.

As we chose seats, there was a moment I was sure I would kiss her. I know I wanted to...and it _seemed_ like she did too. She tripped and I had caught her…and suddenly she was just _so close_ to me. I noticed that she smelled wonderful...in a daze, I started leaning toward her lips...

And then the bus started and the moment was gone.

_Damn, Eddie,_ Invisible Emmett said, _you have some of the worse luck I've ever seen._

She agreed to play Truth with me, and that was when I found that Bella liked to tease me. She kept me laughing, though I was impatient to learn about her. When she bit her lip, I wanted to kiss her. And when she had held up two fingers and said, "That's two sentences," I wanted to tell her she was the cutest person I had ever met.

But I restrained myself. I reminded myself that we lived in different cities and that this was merely an infatuation. It wasn't normal to like someone this fast, especially since I wasn't sure I'd ever liked anyone this much before.

Then Bella asked why I became a doctor. For some reason, I felt the need to be brutally honest. I took the game of Truth to new heights as admitted how lonely I was because everyone only saw my looks. I sounded like a whining, wallowing, arrogant prick, but the words came out before I could filter them. As soon as I spoke, I just wanted to take back my words and escape the sadness and humiliation.

But Bella listened, like a best friend. And then, she _comforted_ me. She made me feel like I _mattered._ The jumbled puzzle of my life started making sense, suddenly. I found the corner pieces because of her. She told me _she_ wanted to know me and she said I was dazzling. My heart swelled.

In an attempt to lighten the conversation (and because I hoped she would say yes), I leaned toward her and asked, "Do I dazzle you?"

I was disappointed when she said, "Oh, no. Reporters are immune to dazzling." But I thought I saw something—regret?—flash through her eyes as she spoke.

Then, of course, I realized what she had said and I had to ask: "You're a reporter?"

She made a face. "Kind of."

I raised my eyebrows, silently asking her to explain.

This time, she gave me a real answer and I drank up every word she said. She told me how frustrating working in the advertising department was. She spoke about how much she wanted a chance to write a real story—maybe even do some investigative reporting. That was her dream. I was amazed by her. I was also amazed that a newspaper would leave this much potential talent untapped.

I hadn't realized how much passion and fire she possessed. I could see it when she spoke about her job. "It's just maddening, working in advertising!" she exclaimed. "I know many people don't love their jobs, but I'm _good_ at writing and finding out the truth. I'm awful at cajoling and convincing people to pay money to advertise. So I mostly just edit the ads that come in. I did ask to be moved to another department and, well, they said if anything else opened up, they'd consider me. I just feel like I could be doing so much more. But right now it just…sucks. Sometimes I dread going to work…especially after Mike."

Bella looked as though she thought she had said too much. My heart squeezed. I hadn't even thought about whether she was single or not. Now I had to wonder.

"Who…who is Mike?" I asked, half eager and half reluctant to know the answer.

Bella rolls her eyes. "He's this guy I went out with a few months ago. We only lasted about month."

My heartbeat immediately slowed down. I felt so relieved. _She could still be going out with someone, though._

Bella continued. "He works in advertising with me. He's really good at it—I'll give him that, but he's just…I don't know…irritating?"

I laughed. I could do that now. _She doesn't like Mike. _"How so?"

Bella made a face. "He just bugs me. He liked me a whole lot more than I liked him—I mostly went out with him because I got tired of turning him down. I broke up with him after a few dates, but he still followed me around like a puppy dog." She rolled her eyes. "Then, luckily, he met Jessica—who is quite nice, although she likes to get all the office gossip. But apparently somewhere along the line, Mike turned into a player because he promptly dumped Jessica, started going out with Samantha, and then dumped her, all in a matter of a couple months."

I grimaced. "He sounds exactly like James."

Bella shook her head. "I hate guys like that. If I had realized Mike had it in him, I never would have gone out with him. But, anyway, now Mike is going out with Lauren. And—guess what? Her father owns the _Tribune_ and she has a grudge against me because of Mike. It kind of makes work…uncomfortable."

I winced in sympathy. "I would imagine. That really _does_ suck."

Bella just shrugged. "It's not much fun, but I deal. I know if I hang in there, I'll get my chance to write articles...I hope so, anyway."

"You'll get your chance and you'll do wonderfully," I reassured her. I couldn't bear to see her lose her confidence.

We sat in silence for a while after that. Even silences with Bella were eye-opening. They were natural and easy, just like our conversations. She didn't feel the need to speak and neither did I. Chatter wasn't necessary.

I could still feel how much she affected me, though. My heartbeat was uneven and all my nerves were aware that she was sitting next to me. She looked at me and smiled and I felt like she could cure anything with that smile. It lit up her face and my world.

After a while, Bella started gazing out the window, where it was raining again. I started reflecting on our conversation. Although it sounded like she was single, I wanted confirmation, so after some deliberation, I finally broke the silence. "So have you had any relationships that were more successful than Mike?" I asked, trying to be subtle.

_Real smooth, Eddie. She totally knows why you're asking that question. _I was getting really tired of getting Emmett-like input from my brain.

Bella wrinkled her nose and I was struck once again by how adorable she was. "Not really," she said. _Yes!_ I couldn't help thinking as she continued, "I went on a few dates in college, had a couple relationships that lasted a few months, but nothing ever just...clicked...you know?"

I nodded. I knew only too well. But I couldn't understand why no one had swept this amazing girl off her feet. _I wish I could,_ I thought.

_You'd probably just drop her, Eddie. _I agreed with Emmett on this one--I wasn't good enough for her.

"Also," she continued, "it didn't help that the feelings have always been one-sided. Either I liked the guy way more than he liked me, or the guy liked me more than I liked him. That's what happened with Mike and Jacob."

"Jacob?" I asked.

"We were best friends in high school. I moved up to Forks, Washington half way through high school, so I didn't really have any close friends. He didn't go to my school, but we hung out a lot because our dads are best friends." Bella took a deep breath and continued. "At the end of high school, before I headed off to Arizona State University, he told me he wanted to date me."

She looked sad. "I thought of him as a brother...not anything remotely romantic. It tore us apart for a while. I felt like I couldn't trust him to be my best friend because he _wanted_ to be my boyfriend...and it hurt Jacob because he really wanted me to like him." She swallowed hard. "It was lucky that I met Alice, otherwise I probably would have taken it even harder. But I made some really good friends in college and Jacob and I became friends again half way through college. Around that time, he got a crush on and started going out with a woman named Leah. They're married and expecting a baby now."

"That's wonderful." I smiled, genuinely pleased that things had worked out for Jacob. "I'm really glad that he found someone to love and that you got your best friend back."

Bella smiled. "Yeah...it was really rough there, for a while. But I'm really happy for them. I should call them when we get to Portland though." She was silent for a minute. "Leah was in the hospital this morning with contractions and she's not due for four more months...so I'm a little worried. We're all so excited about the baby...I just don't want anything to go wrong."

"Do you know what kind of contractions or how severe they were?" I asked, going into doctor mode.

Bella shook her head. "No...Jake just said Leah was having contractions, but the doctors thought she'd be okay."

"Well, if you learn anything more and want a second opinion, let me know." I winked at her.

"Thanks." Bella smiled at me, but she still looked worried.

I moved to put my hand on top of hers, but drew it back slowly. _Don't get attached._ "Don't worry," I reassured her. "Nine times out of ten, incidences like that turn out just fine. And it sounds like Jacob and the doctors are taking good care of her."

"I hope so," Bella responded. "I'm looking forward to being an aunt of sorts." Her lips turned up slightly.

"That's wonderful." I smiled at her, hoping she would see how much I meant it--how much I meant everything I said to her.

She smiled back at me and my heart flipped over again. "Yes," she said. "It really is. I mean, Jake and I aren't actually related, but we might as well be. Plus, my dad is dating Sue, Leah's mom, so you never know. I might actually qualify as a step-aunt or something." She grinned.

It sounded like her dad was single. I opened my mouth to ask her about it, then silently debated whether I should ask. I didn't want to hurt her if something had happened to her mom...

The conflict must have shown on my face because suddenly Bella was saying, "I think we're straying away from the rules here, since I haven't asked a question in a while, but please go ahead and ask, Edward."

I was still hesitant. "You don't need to respond if you don't want to, but...well...you said your dad was dating...and I wondered...what--what happened to your mom?"

Bella looked surprised. "Oh! She's fine. She lives in Florida with her husband, Phil. My parents divorced when I was a baby. I actually grew up mostly with my mom. We migrated a bit, but settled in Scottsdale, right near Phoenix. I lived there most of my life."

"But you moved to Washington half-way through high school?" I repeated what she had said earlier, turning it into a question.

Bella smiled a bit sadly. "Well, Renee--my mom--met Phil and they got married. But he plays for the minor leagues. He was traveling a lot, trying to get signed. My mom stayed with me in Arizona, but it was hard for her, being away from him, so I decided to come live with Charlie."

_Selfless, yet again_, I thought. "Was it difficult, adjusting to a new high school?" I asked.

Bella shrugged. "A bit. Forks is a really small town, so I was a bit of a phenomenon for a while, but once that settled down, things were okay. I mostly hung out with Jacob...and sometimes Angela, a friend from school."

"But you decided to come back to Arizona?"

"Yeah--well, things had started getting a little weird with Jake. Plus, I missed the sun. I also got a scholarship to ASU...the combination of all those things made me decide to go." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I'm glad I did though--I made some really great friends during college and I enjoyed the Journalism program."

"Is that where you met Alice?" Maybe this time she would actually tell me more about her best friend.

She called me out though. Clearly, not much slipped by this girl. "What's this obsession with Alice, huh?" she asked. Her eyes sparkled and I could tell she was teasing.

"Well, why are you being so close-lipped? What, is she an undercover government agent?"

Bella widened her eyes in fake surprise, then put a finger to her lips. "Shh! You're not supposed to know that." We laughed for a minute, and then she continued thoughtfully. "Although, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Alice was with the undercover fashion police. She's the type."

"She sounds like quite a character."

Bella smiled. "Oh, she is--and yes, I met her at ASU. She was my roommate, all four years. I miss having her around...she lives in Portland now. If you ever need an events coordinator, you should give her a call. She's becoming quite well known. I think it has to do with her ability to do a million things at once."

"A ball of energy?" I asked.

She laughed. "Pretty much. She accomplishes so much in a day; it amazes me. She's...a firecracker, I guess you'd say. A very well-dressed firecracker."

We laughed, and then she turned the questions back to me. "How 'bout you? Do you have any close friends, aside from James?"

I frowned. "I wouldn't really consider James a _close_ friend exactly...I stay in touch with a few of my professors from Northwestern, though, and a few other acquaintances I made out there. I guess I'd probably say my best friend is my brother Emmett."

"That's really cool." Bella told me. "I always wished I had siblings. What's Emmett like?"

"He's pretty much the opposite of me, so it's strange that we get along so well. He's very friendly and overly boisterous. Half the time he reminds me of a teddy bear and the other half of the time he's like, well, a grizzly bear."

Bella laughed. She was so cute. I wanted to keep her laughing.

"It's funny because he physically fits the stereotype of a bully perfectly--you know, big, tall, too many muscles--but he was always the one who protected the little kids from bullies. He's not afraid of anything...I admire him, in that."

Bella cocked her head to the side. "You seem pretty brave to me."

I shook my head. "I second-guess myself a lot. I overthink things. Emmett just...does them. He's got strong morals and he never seems to question his actions. I think that's what makes him so likable; he's carefree. He jokes constantly, but he never means any harm."

_Why, thank you Eddie,_ the Emmett part of my head said. I smiled internally.

"I mean, we fight some--all brothers do, I suppose--but we're really close. It'll be nice to see him more now that I'm back in the same city."

"So he's in Portland?"

"Yeah--he actually even works in the same hospital as me. He's a physical therapist and he helps out at the hospital gym."

"That's nice--you'll get to see him everyday."

I grinned. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

"What about your parents?" Bella asked.

"That's why I was up here, actually. It was their anniversary this weekend. They live near Seattle. My dad--as I told you--is a very talented doctor and my mom does interior design. They are some of the most kind and caring people I know." I stopped, wondering if it would bother Bella that my parents were still together, but she didn't seem fazed by it.

"That's really wonderful, Edward," she said. "I see that they've given you those qualities."

My insides were giddy from her response--_she thinks I'm kind and caring_--but I shook my head, denying it. "I'm not nearly as selfless as they are--or as you are, for that matter. I almost..I almost didn't come this weekend because my car broke down and I had to take the bus." I admitted. "I hate taking the bus."

"But you _did_ come," Bella responded. She blushed as she said, "And I'm glad you came, otherwise I wouldn't have met you."

This girl was definitely making my heart do strange things.

After this discussion, we agreed to really get back to the game. We decided to ask each other favorites. These were mostly one-word answers, unless one of us asked for an explanation.

Some of her answers, admittedly, confused me. Not so much because of her response, but because of the blush that accompanied it. Like when I asked her what her favorite color was.

"Green," she responded immediately, then looked at me and blushed red.

"Why?" I asked, wanting her to elaborate and explain her flushed state.

She seemed to back away from the topic. "It isn't always green," she explained. "A lot of the time it's brown or blue because those colors remind me of Arizona. But today I'm leaving Washington State, land of green and gray," she rolled her eyes. "So I'm going to miss it. Not much—not nearly as much as I miss Arizona when I'm up here—but a little."

It happened again when I asked her what her favorite type of metal was. She gave me a strange look at the question, but we'd been asking all sorts of favorites—color, flower, food, animal, gem stone…the list went on—so she didn't question me. Which was just as well, since it had just popped into my head. I was surprised that she didn't even have to stop and think. Her answer was prompt.

"Bronze."

That surprised me. I had expected her to say silver or gold—that was what nearly every other girl I knew would have said. But I was beginning to realize that with Bella, I should expect the unexpected.

It surprised me even more when she flushed at her answer. So of course I had to ask why.

"Why bronze?" I asked, subconsciously running my fingers through my hair. I wondered why Bella turned an even brighter shade of red as she watched me.

"It's more interesting than something like gold," she replied after a minute of silence. "I like that it combines multiple elements—copper and tin or sometimes another element. I like things that are heterogeneous in origin. Also, I always wanted to take a course on the Bronze Age in college, but I never had a chance."

It was strange because even after that highly intelligent, well-thought out answer, I felt like she was hiding something. I thought about calling her out on the point of the game--to tell the truth. But I let it go. She didn't seem like the type to without information without a good reason.

After I had asked Bella what her favorite color jellybean was (I honestly couldn't think of anything else), we agreed to stop asking about favorites. So Bella's next question was much more creative and—once again—insightful.

"What habit do you have that seems normal to you, but would seem strange to other people?" she finally asked.

I contemplated that for a while. Bella sat patiently next to me, her elbow resting against the window and her face propped against her fist. Her body was twisted toward me as she awaited my response.

For some reason, I wanted to impress her with this one. She continually impressed me with both her questions and answers and I wanted to measure up. I discarded several of my initial answers—how I liked to eat pickles as a midnight snack at the hospital, how I liked driving extra fast past speedometers…hmmm…

Invisible Emmett felt the need to comment. _You know, Eddie, you're pretty much made of strange. It shouldn't be that difficult._

_But I want to impress her,_ I argued back.

_Ahh,_ Emmett said wisely. _Hate to break it to ya, Eddie-kins, but you're way too strange to ever impress that bombshell. Hell, you've got no expertise in the areas that really count…how can you impress without that? Although I suppose you could blurt out that you're a virgin. That wouldn't impress her, but it sure is strange and abnormal…_

Invisible Emmett was off and running. I had decided by this point it was best to just ignore him. It didn't seem like he planned on leaving my head anytime soon, at least not while Bella was around. There were far too many opportunities to tease me.

Bella was still looking at me patiently. I looked around the bus, desperate for a good answer. Then, I realized the bus held the answer.

"I count things automatically. Like, I do math with my surroundings."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

I decided an example would be clearer. "Well, I know there are 55 seats on this bus, counting the bus driver's seat. There's only 33 people on the bus though, again, counting the bus driver."

Bella cocked her head to the side, indicating that she was listening. I continued. "I don't exactly count them…my head just does the math. There's 13 rows with four seats each, plus our two seats back here and the driver's seat. Or, there are 27 pairs of seats, 13 pairs on one side, 14 on the other, plus the bus driver. There are lots of different ways to do it…but my brain calculates it easily. It's not exactly automatic, I guess…it's more like a habit. I notice that I'm calculating it, but I'm not concentrating on it."

"So how many passengers got off at Tacoma?" Bella asked, testing me. About five minutes ago, we'd pulled up to the station in Tacoma, although we hadn't stopped—we'd just dropped off and taken on passengers.

"Five passengers got off." Anticipating her next question, I continued. "Three got on."

Bella nodded and I could tell her reporter mind was hard at work. Suddenly, it was like a light-bulb lit up her face. "It's a little bit like me, with literature!" she exclaimed.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, not exactly the same…but see, I can read a book once or a few times and then remember many significant quotes from it, without much effort. Like I memorize without even trying. So it's different, but I think the basic principle is the same."

I nodded. "Can I quiz you?" I asked.

Bella grinned. "Of course. Any author who has written a classic, prose or poetry. See how I do."

"Jane Austen."

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's easy, silly. 'It is a true universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'" She quoted it easily, her voice flowing. I could hear her love of the story beneath her words.

"_Pride and Prejudice_ one of your favorites?" When I'd asked her about her favorite book ealier, she said there were too many to name.

"Of course."

"Do you know any Robert Frost?" I asked.

Bella smacked me lightly on the arm. "Stop going easy on me, Edward!" she scolded. "I mean, almost everyone who takes poetry classes in college knows some lines from 'Walking by Woods on a Snowy Evening.'"

"How about…" I searched my memory for another poet. "…Alfred Lord Tennyson?"

Bella laughed. I reveled in the bell-like sound once again. She grinned at me mischievously. "I memorized all 171 lines of 'The Lady of Shallot' because it's quite possibly my favorite poem ever."

I laughed with her. "I can't win, can I?" I asked playfully.

"Nope." She shook her head. "So since each stanza in 'The Lady of Shallot' has nine lines, so how many stanzas are there?"

"Nineteen." I answered promptly.

Bella smiled. "We make a good team."

The thought warmed my heart.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I know you are all anticipating more action and next chapter the real drama will start. Edward and Bella just needed to get to know each other better first.

Reviews--positive or negative--are much appreciated. I have no idea how this story looks to others, so I would love it if each of you, my readers, would tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is always helpful and appreciated. As always, I promise to reply. I like answering questions and sometimes you get a bit of the inside scoop, if you ask. ;)


	7. Reunions and Detours

**First, I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter! Fanfiction was having some technical problems, so I couldn't get it posted.**

**Second, I want to thank you for the wonderful response last chapter! It looks like I've got some new readers, so welcome to you all! I also want to thank my amazing new beta, Babette12, who understands these characters better than I do and ensures that your reading experience is all that it should be! You rock! :) Now on with the show… **

**Reunions and Detours (Bella's POV)**

We'd been playing the Truth game for quite a while, when, suddenly, a toy truck appeared on top of the seat in front of Edward.

"Vroom! Vroom!" said the truck.

I looked at Edward. He was trying to suppress a smile as I started giggling.

A small, brown-haired head rose above the top of the seat. A little boy, who looked like he was about four or five, grinned at us. "Hi!" he said. "What's your name?"

"My name is Edward and this is Bella," Edward replied, pointing to me. "What's your name?"

"Josh," replied the little boy.

"Is your mom or dad on the bus with you, Josh?" I asked, concerned that he appeared to be all alone.

"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically. "My mommy and my baby bruzzer are here. My bruzzer's kind of boring."

"Really?" Edward asked as I smiled at the way Josh pronounced the word 'brother.'

"Yeah," he confided. "He doesn't talk. His name is Isaac. He likes to cry."

"That's very interesting," Edward said distractedly, looking towards the front of the bus before turning to me.

"Bella," he muttered, "stay with Josh, okay? I think I see his mom looking for him."

I nodded for Edward's benefit before turning back to the little boy. "What kind of truck do you have there, Josh?"

"A dump truck!" he said proudly, showing me how the back of the truck tipped upwards.

"That's neat," I said.

"Yes, it's very cool."

He seemed quite mature for his age. With that in mind, I asked, "How old are you, Josh?"

"I'm _this_ many old!" Josh said, holding up four fingers proudly.

"Four years old? And you can count already?" I asked, feigning surprise.

"Yeah!" Josh was endlessly enthusiastic. He was leaning over the seat to talk to me in his excitement. "One...two...three..." He kept counting until he ran out of fingers. "I don't know what comes after," he told me seriously, "but my mommy knows."

"Your mommy must be smart."

Josh nodded. "She is," he told me with the same seriousness. "She knows how to read and _everything_."

"Wow! Is she going to teach you?"

"Yes. I can only read little words, like dog, but mommy will teach me _big_ words." He put his thumb in his mouth, then spoke around it. "Where my mommy?" His voice was muffled by his thumb. He clutched his truck in his other hand.

I stood up, putting my hand gently on his head and looking over the seats. A young woman with a baby was rushing back towards us, with Edward close behind her, carrying a baby bag. "She's coming right now," I reassured Josh.

"Josh!" The young woman scolded, "I was so worried! You can't just disappear like that. You need to tell me where you're going so I can come with you."

_Huh,_ I thought. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Josh said, looking truly sorry to see his mom upset. "I wanted to play trucks. She played with me." He said pointing at me.

The woman turned to me, cradling the baby—Isaac—to her chest. "Thank you so much for looking after Josh...he's quite an adventurer," she explained. She seemed puzzled as she looked at me.

_I've definitely seen her before,_ I thought. _How do I know her?_

"It was no problem at all," I assured her. I noticed that Edward and Josh were now engaged in a conversation about trucks. I decided I should introduce myself. "I'm Bella, by the way."

"Bella?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. Realization dawned on her face. "Bella _Swan_?"

"Yes..." I said, still puzzled. She looked so familiar...and then it clicked. "Angela?" I asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes! Oh, my goodness, it's so good to see you! It's been, what? Seven years?"

I was grinning from ear-to-ear. I had missed my high school friend. "At least that long!" I pulled her into a one-armed hug, careful of the baby in her arms. "This is so incredible! There's so much to catch up on!"

_She has kids? Wow..._I thought_. It __**has**__ been a long time_. I had so many questions that I didn't even know where to start.

"Do you two know each other?" Edward asked, looking puzzled as he joined our conversation.

"Yes...Edward, this is Angela Webber. She was one of my only friends from high school, apart from Jacob." I explained.

"How _is_ Jacob?" Angela asked.

"He's doing really well—"

Edward put his hand on my shoulder, and spoke softly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but maybe we should sit down? It's not really safe to be standing up like this...and well, we're kind of attracting some attention." He nodded his head to several senior couples, who were watching our reunion with fascination.

I felt a blush rising to my face. Angela looked flustered.

"Oh! Of course." I said. "Edward, do you mind if I sit with Angela for a bit so we can catch up and you can sit in front of us with Josh? That is, if neither of you mind?"

Edward shook his head, smiling at me in a way that made me go all mushy inside. "Of course I don't mind, Bella," he told me. I was all too aware that his hand was still gently resting on my shoulder.

"I don't mind either," Angela spoke softly. "Besides, I think Josh is tired of my lack of truck expertise..."

"All right then, Josh," Edward said, removing his hand from my shoulder, "let's sit and talk about construction vehicles." _Oh dear, there he goes again,_ I thought. _He can't just say __**dump trucks**__; it has to be __**construction vehicles**__._

Josh looked puzzled. "What's a veh—vehi—that thing?"

"It's different types of cars and trucks," Edward explained. _Edward seems so good with kids. Well, except for the fact that he uses too many big words..._

Angela and I got settled, with me by the window, while Edward and Josh kept talking. Isaac was still, mercifully, asleep, so we talked quietly so as not to disturb him. I was happy to be sitting with Angela, but part of me wished I was with Edward. We had so little time left before I would never see him again...

I was about to ask her about her kids, but she cut to the chase. "So how long have you known Edward?" she asked in a whisper.

I blushed. "We just met at the bus station today," I whispered back.

"Really?" Angela asked in disbelief.

"Yeah...why?"

"You just...you looked really friendly. Like, um, you knew each other really well." She was silent for a minute, then continued. "I actually...I kind of thought he was your boyfriend," she confessed.

_I wish_, I thought longingly. "Well, he did help me when I fell today. I'm still as clumsy as ever…" Angela laughed quietly at that. "And we're sitting together, but no, we're not actually together." I checked to make sure Edward wasn't listening before continuing in a barely audible whisper. "We live in different cities and well, he's completely out of my league." Like Edward, Angela was one of a select few people who caused me to speak frankly.

Angela shook her head. "I'm sorry you live in different cities...but he's not out of your league, Bella. You seem pretty evenly matched to me. _He_ certainly thinks so."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart fluttering.

Angela shrugged. "I just...I think he likes you," she told me hesitantly.

I shook my head. "He's far too good for me. And there's no chance anyway, so it doesn't even matter."

"If you say so..." Angela said, trailing off.

I decided a distraction was in order. I wasn't ready to discuss the topic of Edward any further. I didn't want to think about it too much. "So...you have two kids?" I asked Angela.

Angela smiled. "Yeah. They're really wonderful. Isaac's an easy baby and Josh is such a great son."

"I can tell." I smiled back at her. "He seems really smart for his age."

"Yeah, he takes after Ben that way." Angela looked sad as she spoke.

"You and Ben stayed together?" I asked, pleased. Angela and Ben started going out at the end of our junior year. They were high school sweethearts and seemed to compliment each other wonderfully, but I knew most high school relationships didn't last. I was glad theirs had.

Angela smiled. "Yeah." She cleared her throat slightly. "We got married after our sophomore year of college, actually, and we were pregnant with that one," she nodded her head in the direction of Josh's seat, smiling fondly, "a few months later."

"Congratulations on getting married...and your kids...and well, everything I missed!" I told her, wishing we hadn't lost touch.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

"Ben isn't on the bus with you is he?" I assumed he wasn't, since he hadn't come back with Angela.

"No." Angela shook her head, her smile disappearing. "Bella, Ben...he died about nine months ago." She held Isaac more tightly as she spoke.

"Oh, god! Angela, I'm _so_ sorry." My voice was anguished. I couldn't believe it...Ben Cheney..._gone_? "That's..._terrible_," I said, and then wanted to slap myself. _That's terrible_? _Way to comfort your friend, Bella. That doesn't even cover it._

Edward's head popped over the seat. He must have heard how anguished I sounded. "Bella? Are you all right?" He looked so worried. "Did something happen?"

"I'm afraid it's my fault, Edward," Angela said in a small voice.

"No, Angela—it's not at all your fau—"

Angela spoke over my protests. Her voice was calm, although I could hear the strain. "I was explaining that my husband Ben passed away," she told Edward simply.

"Oh...I'm terribly sorry for your loss." Edward looked shocked by this turn of events—almost as shocked as I was.

"It's all right," Angela said quietly.

"Do you...do you mind if I ask what happened?" Edward continued, his voice equally low. In the background, I could hear Josh making "vroom, vroom" noises.

"Ben—he was quite brilliant with computers," Angela said, her voice stilted. I nodded, remembering how tech-savvy Ben had been. "He was...he was over in Iraq, doing a special security programming project for his company...I don't know the details. He was...supposed to be in a secure location, but, well...it was bombed. Everyone in his computer crew died." Her voice was shaking and she was on the verge of breaking down. I wrapped a protective arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," Edward said softly. "I'm a doctor, so sometimes I can help patients by helping them understand their loved ones' deaths. I'm not sure what I can...tell you, in this case, except that it sounds like your husband loved you very much and he was very brave. And he gave you two wonderful sons, whom you are doing a wonderful job raising."

"Thank you, Edward." Angela smiled sadly. Edward smiled back and then turned to Josh who was trying to get his attention.

Angela steered the topic away from Ben as adeptly as I had steered it away from Edward earlier. "So you never finished telling me...how's Jacob?"

We spoke for a while about old friends, our families, and the town of Forks. We also updated each other on our college years and careers. Angela had gone to Washington University with Ben and was now a preschool teacher. She explained that she had been up visiting Ben's parents in a Seattle because her kids didn't have preschool this week. Angela lived just outside Portland now, but she took the bus up every couple of months to visit her in-laws or her parents, who still lived in Forks.

Occasionally, we would check on Edward and Josh, who had bonded over dump trucks. Edward would often look back and wink at me, which made my stomach explode into butterflies every time.

We only stopped talking when the bus driver made an announcement. "We'll be in Centralia in about fifteen minutes. After that, we're taking a detour, folks. There's some flooding north of Portland and Longview, so we're going to go up onto some back roads to avoid it. This will put us behind schedule, but you're just gonna hafta deal. If you wanna get off at Centralia even though it's not your stop, it's no skin off my nose, but you'll have to talk to the company if you want a refund." The radio crackled and shrieked slightly as he spoke. Isaac stirred fitfully in his sleep.

Angela patted Isaac's back and whispered to me, "He doesn't seem very responsible for a bus driver."

I shook my head, frowning, "No, he doesn't...he _laughed_ at me when I tripped earlier...maybe he's just annoyed with the weather?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "Bella, it's _Washington_. He should _expect_ this." She grinned. That was the same phrase she used to tell me whenever I complained about the weather.

The bus had erupted into discussions about the flooding as soon as the bus driver finished speaking. Isaac squirmed in Angela's arms and opened his eyes. He started crying. Angela patted his back and said, "Time to feed the baby."

"See," I heard Josh whisper to Edward, "Isaac _always_ cries."

"He's a baby." I heard Edward whisper back. "That's how he tells your mom that he's hungry."

"Why doesn't he use words?" Josh asked. "Mommy always tells me to use my words."

"He doesn't know how to talk yet. You were like that once."

"I _was_?" Josh said, disbelievingly.

"Yep."

"Oh." Josh sounded contemplative.

Isaac started crying more loudly. Edward stood up from his aisle seat and asked, "Angela, would you like to switch seats? Your bag is up here. That way you can feed Isaac." He sounded almost...eager.

"Yes, thank you." Angela carefully stood up, switching places with Edward. I glanced out the window at the highway rushing by, noticing the drizzling rain. Centralia was coming up soon, which would normally mean we'd been in Portland in about two hours—not this time, apparently. I sighed. I would need to call Alice—and possibly my boss—to let them know I might be delayed. I probably wouldn't have time to see Alice.

_On the other hand,_ I thought as Edward sat back down beside me, _it means you get to spend more time with Edward._

I'd had fun catching up with Angela, but I couldn't help the feeling of warmth and relief that washed over me as Edward sat down by my side. He smiled at me, which made my insides do strange things. I felt...giddy.

"Hello, again," Edward said, smiling at me. _His voice is so mesmerizing..._

"Hello. How was your chat with Josh?"

Edward chuckled. "It was good...I learned enough about dump trucks to last a lifetime. I think he's going to need a nap soon. I guess we wore him out, poor little guy."

"You like kids," I said. It was both a statement and a question.

"Very much," Edward replied. "I'd actually never been around little kids until a few years ago. I'm the youngest in my family and I never babysat or anything, so I was never around children. But I took on an internship during college where I was working in pediatrics for the summer. It taught me a lot about little kids, both medically and in general."

"That's great, Edward."

"Yeah, it was eye-opening. I know now I want kids someday, maybe in a few years when I'm more settled. Do you want kids?" With that question, although we hadn't officially said so, we fell back into the game of Truth—and I was determined to be truthful this time. I hated lying or telling half-truths to Edward, even if it was for his own good. This question, luckily, was one I could answer.

"Yes," I said. "I babysat a lot during high school. It scared the hell out of me the first few times I did it, but I fell in love with most of the kids I sat for, so it worked out well. Most of them are such sweethearts. It's really fascinating watching them grow up. I also got into Child Psychology a bit during college, so it was interesting to connect kids to the different stages of development."

"I noticed you said 'most' of the kids you babysat for were good. Were there some who weren't?" _He's so intuitive,_ I thought. _He picks up on the little things._

Bringing myself back to the conversation, I rolled my eyes. "You have _no_ idea...I babysat these twins, Jane and Alec, who were just so _creepy_. Jake and I nicknamed them the Terrible Twins..."

After regaling Edward with several Terrible Twin stories, we pulled up at the Centralia station. I noticed that no one was waiting to get on the bus—not surprising, I suppose, given the weather and the flooding.

"I'm going to get these little guys to a bathroom," Angela said, as a company official came on board and started explaining more about the detour.

"I'm going to go too," I told Edward.

"Be careful not to fall in the toilet," he mocked, smirking.

"I'll be careful not to have sex either," I said, grinning back at him.

Edward looked mortified at my reference to his earlier blunder. "I'm just joking," I reassured him. He smiled, relaxing again. I don't know what compelled me to do it, but I found myself winking and informing him, "You _know_ I wouldn't have sex with anyone but you."

_I can't believe I just did that, but you have no idea how true that statement is_, I wanted to add. But I didn't. _Edward is way too good for me._

I saw Angela's jaw drop at my words. I'm sure my face was flaming red. Before Edward could say a word, I hightailed off the bus. Angela—with Josh and Isaac in tow—close at my heels.

After getting teased mercilessly by Angela and changing Isaac's diaper (the one thing I _dislike _about children), we trooped back on the bus. And after more blushing from me, and a few stuttered sentences from Edward—who seemed rather taken aback by my teasing words—the bus started and we were on our way again.

I noticed our numbers had been reduced. Those whose destination was Centralia had, of course, exited. Some who were going to Longview had been put on a different bus and—according to Edward, who had eavesdropped on a heated discussion—a few had decided to get to Portland through other means. That meant, according to Edward, that we were down to seventeen passengers and one rather rude bus driver.

"Did you hear what detour we're taking?" I asked Edward. Angela peered between the seats, still holding Isaac, listening to our conversation.

Edward nodded. "We're going east—towards Mount Saint Helens, although of course we won't be going that far. It sounds like we're taking 504 until it hits 505...then we're going to head south on some lesser known roads. Eventually we'll get back on I-5 again."

Angela nodded, looking like she knew exactly what he was talking about. I hadn't a clue. I had only lived in Forks for two years, so I knew the roads around the Olympic Peninsula, but not much else.

"Have you been to Mount Saint Helens?" I asked. "All I know about it is that it had a volcanic eruption in 1980."

Edward answered, launching us into a discussion about the history of the Cascade Mountains and Edward's hiking trips. Somehow, this turned into a discussion about religion. The back-and-forth of Truth rolled onward. Angela and my surroundings were forgotten. It was just me and Edward, talking about everything under the sun.

I tried to absorb everything about him. Not just how often he ran his fingers through his hair, but how his eyebrows pulled together when he was being serious and raised nearly to his hairline when he was sarcastic. I examined the scruff on his face as he told me about Emmett's encounter with a baby grizzly bear. I gazed at his nose as he told me that he felt most spiritual when wandering through the woods. I drank up every word he spoke and how he looked as he said them.

I did this because, in the back of my mind, there was an hourglass that was counting down the grains of time I had left with Edward. The sand was running out. _It's just as well,_ one side of me knew, _that we live far away from each other._ He didn't like me and I wanted something better for him. Edward should have someone special who deserved him. I wasn't that girl.

Apparently, Edward was just as absorbed in our conversation as I was, because the next thing I knew, someone was saying loudly, "Excuse me." Edward and I looked over to the opposite side of the bus. A few rows diagonally in front of us, an elderly couple was looking our way.

"Yes?" Edward asked, since he was closer to the aisle.

"We were just wondering," the man asked in a quieter tone, "do you think this looks right? We've been on this highway for over an hour...it looks like we're heading up into some pretty big mountains now..."

Edward and I both looked out the windows. It had stopped raining, although the sky was still grey, but the man was right—the road appeared to be heading upward.

"I think we're heading up Mount Saint Helens," Edward spoke to the couple, sounding perplexed. "I've been up here a number of times. You're right...we shouldn't have come this far. We should have headed south before now. Thank you for bringing it to our attention...here, let me go speak to the bus driver." He rose from his seat, making his way carefully toward the front of the bus. I stood also, leaning over the seat in front of me. Josh was curled up, asleep. Angela and Isaac looked like they were both dozing.

I glanced at the elderly couple again. The man looked worried, but his wife smiled at me. "You've got yourself a nice young man there," she said approvingly. "He's polite _and_ responsible, which is so _unusual_ these days."

I glanced toward the front of the bus. Edward and the bus driver appeared to be having a rather heated conversation. "Thank you," I said, my gut twisting. "But he's not my young man...I just met him today."

The woman just smiled at me knowingly. "Well, dear, you ought to work on that. You can't let the good ones get away. You're a good one, too, I can just tell. Marcus," she said to her husband, "since she's not taken, we should set her up with one of our grandsons. We need some nice girls to keep our grandsons in line. You see..." She started telling me a story about her recreant grandchildren, although it was clear she still loved them to pieces. I smiled. She reminded me a lot of my grandmother, before she passed away.

Soon, I saw Edward making his way back down the aisle. He looked rather put out. He sighed as he sat down again. "The bus driver is annoyed, but he says he'll turn around the next time the road is wide enough to do so." I peered out my window again. Right now we seemed to be on a rather narrow stretch—it would indeed be difficult to turn around.

Just then, Josh appeared—much like earlier—over the top of the seat in front of me. "Bel…la?" He spoke hesitantly.

I smiled at him, despite my concerns about the bus driver. "What's up, Josh?"

"Can I have a hug?" he asked shyly, his thumb heading back towards his mouth.

"Of course you can, buddy," I said, smiling at him. Clumsily, I lifted him over the top of the seats with Edward's help. Josh snuggled up against me, laying his head on my shoulder. He was such a wonderful kid. It made my heart hurt to think he had lost his father. Edward watched us with a soft look on his face.

I was pulled out of my moment with Josh by the sound of the bus accelerating. The old man was shaking his head. "He should slow down. This road is icy at this elevation, especially given all the rain."

"Maybe I should go back and tell him," Edward said hesitantly, "but I doubt he'll listen...he'll probably just get more annoyed. I'm not sure he's the most...stable person."

The bus seemed to be going faster, rumbling beneath us. The man shook his head. "Better sit down, son, wait 'til we turn around."

We kept moving faster. Someone toward the front of the bus said loudly, "Buddy, you need to slow down! This is dangerous!" A few others chimed in.

"This isn't fucking dangerous!" The bus driver yelled. The bus started going even faster.

I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I noticed that Angela was awake now. She looked back at me, frightened. Her face relaxed slightly when she saw I had Josh. "Hold on tight." I told her, fear rising. She cradled Isaac to her chest.

"You _need_ to slow down!" Edward shouted desperately from beside me. "_This isn't the time to play games!_"

"_Damn it! Shut up!"_ the bus driver shouted back, "_Why should I listen to your crap? I'm driving this bus just fine_!" We were hurtling down a long flat stretch now, but I could see a turn far up ahead. There were cliffs on one side of us, but on the other was a slope downward. We were headed toward what appeared to be a drop off, moving at an alarming rate. I wondered if we would be able to make the turn.

There were a couple of men towards the front who were trying to get to the driver. My heart rose to my throat as Edward tried to rise, but it was difficult because the bus was out of control. It felt like we were on ice now—the bus was skidding all over the road. Edward shouted again, this time to the entire bus, "Everyone, get into crash position, heads down with your arms gripping the seat in front of you. _Now!_"

My body obeyed automatically, carefully holding Josh—who was whimpering and clinging to me like a monkey—to my chest with one hand, while gripping the seat in front of me with the other. My heart was beating incredibly fast. I managed to peer past Josh's head in time to see that Edward was in a similar position beside me.

There was a terrible shrieking noise, and then we were airborne.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I know. I'm evil. Here's all I'm saying: you review, the next update comes faster. ;) Also, check my profile page for a bit of background info on this chapter—but please review first! I want to hear what you all think!


	8. The Crash

**I want to give shout outs to two people this week: Babette12, my amazing beta, who has been invaluable in helping me with this story, and Hope4more, who gave me medical advice on this chapter (if you haven't read her story "Hand Me Down," you should check it out! It's on my favorites list.) The reason you are getting a quick update is because of them. They are both so awesome!**

**Thank you for the amazing response last chapter! I love reading and responding to your reviews and seeing what you think. I got this chapter out early because I didn't want to leave you in suspense for too long! ;) So...on with the show!**

**The Crash (Edward and Bella's POVs)**

**Edward's POV**

It all happened so fast. One moment, I was absorbed in conversation with Bella. The next, I was rushing to tell the bus driver we were lost...and then we were going far too fast. I tried to get back to the front of the bus, but I knew it was too late. As soon as I realized this, I shouted for everyone to get into crash positions, before doing the same.

The last thing I saw before we flew off the road was Bella. She was cradling Josh and holding on tightly to the seat in front of her. She looked terrified, but _she was looking at me_. In that moment, that was all that mattered. I knew I would do whatever it took to save her.

I didn't have time to figure out if we would survive or die, although somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought we were flying off a cliff.

I had never been so happy to be wrong.

We were airborne very briefly--just long enough for my stomach to drop--and then we landed...hard. I heard a few screams as I was horribly jarred. I hung on tightly to the back of Angela's seat as the bus rushed down a steep slope, bouncing and jumping. Suddenly, there was a loud crunching and shattering noise...Josh whimpering...a few more groans and screams...and then we were off on the bumpiest roller coaster ride of my life.

We bumped or smashed into several more things before the bus came to a stop. The entire event couldn't have lasted longer than twenty seconds. I wasn't even sure exactly what happened, beyond the fact that we had crashed and I was alive, though severely shaken.

There were a few seconds of shocked silence, and then the noise started. There were cries of shock and pain all around us. I was still looking at Bella and Josh, who both had their eyes squeezed shut. The only thought in my head was _please let them be okay_.

"Bella, Josh?" I asked gently. "Does anything hurt?"

Josh raised his head from Bella's shoulder, shaking his head as his thumb entered his mouth. He kept holding onto Bella, who was shaking.

I gently put my hand under her chin and raised her face toward me. She looked up at me, eyes wide. She looked so scared. My eyes ran over her face. "Are you all right?" I asked her urgently. "Are you hurt in any way?"

Bella opened her mouth, then closed it, swallowing hard. "I--I'm...f-fine." She sounded shaken and weak, but her voice grew stronger. "I'm not hurt. Are...are you all right?" Her voice cracked at the end.

I closed my eyes briefly, as I let out a sigh of relief. I spoke quickly, "Yes, I'm fine. But others aren't. I'm going to need your help."

Bella swallowed hard. "Okay." She still seemed to be in shock, but I'd already lost precious time; I needed to get to those who were injured. I spoke quickly. "Call 911. Then get everyone who is uninjured off the bus--there's a possibility that it could catch fire. Find a first aid kit if you can." I rose quickly as Bella jerked and started searching for her cell phone while still holding Josh. I handed her mine automatically and began moving forward, deciding to go systematically, row by row. _Eighteen people total on the bus_, my mind calculated. _Fifteen_ _left to check._

"Edward!" Bella's panicked voice came from behind me. "There's no reception!" She held up my phone.

I cursed. "Get people off the bus then and try a different phone," I told Bella. I wanted her off the bus, but I knew I needed her help with the other passengers.

_Angela and Isaac first, _I thought. C_heck the children first._ Angela looked up at me as Isaac cried in her arms. "We're fine," she reassured me, as I carefully looked Isaac over, "Just a little shaken, thank God. Go help those who need it."

I nodded, prepared to keep moving, but told her, "Check your sons for any glass and let me know if anything seems wrong." I moved onto the elderly couple, noticing that people were crying and screaming and starting to move around. Before I could say a word, I heard Bella behind me.

"Everyone needs to remain calm and quiet. Stay in your seats," she spoke in a steady voice that carried over the noise. "There is a doctor here who is coming to help you. If you are uninjured or only mildly injured, please raise your hands and I will be assisting you. If you are severely injured, Dr. Edward Cullen will reach you soon. Please be patient and remain calm."

With those words, Bella read my mind. In fact, she did better than that. She made sure I would get to those who were severely injured first. Those with minor injuries could wait.

Bella was my light in this disaster. She turned this nightmare into something manageable...something that might somehow be okay.

* * *

**Bella's POV**

I don't know where the bravery came from. I could never handle accidents or blood and gore. I was the girl who panicked. I was the girl who fainted. I wasn't strong.

But Edward made me strong. He was okay and I was okay and we had survived this. I didn't have the time to think further, but I knew that I had to help make sure that everyone else survived as well. Edward asked for my help and I would give it. It was as simple as that.

My heart plummeted when I saw there were no bars on his phone though. I dialed 9-1-1 just in case...but of course the call didn't go through.

Once Edward told me to get everyone off the bus, I looked up and around. People were panicking. There was no control. No one knew what to do. It looked like many of the windows toward the front of the bus had shattered...there was glass everywhere. The bus was also smashed inward on the left side. It looked like a horror scene out of a movie. I could tell that people were hurt--I could see blood on the floor towards the front of the bus.

I felt myself getting dizzy. _No, Bella,_ I told myself. _That's not allowed. Not now. You have to stay strong._

I looked away from the blood, checking on Josh. Luckily, he still had his face buried in my neck. I whipped my head around to check on Angela and Isaac. They were fine. Others might be too. I stood and spoke to the rest of the bus. My voice didn't shake or falter like I thought it would as I made my announcement. I sounded..._brave_.

"Keep your hands up!" I ordered. Most of the hands were toward the middle or back of the bus. I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to get to the door in the front, so I moved to the back of the bus. "Hang on, okay Josh?" I said, quickly. He nodded into my neck. After pulling and tugging a few levers with one hand, ignoring the sting from my earlier fall, I managed to open the back emergency door.

By the time I finished, Angela was beside me, Isaac still crying in her arms. Josh finally raised his head, whimpering, and reached his arms out for his mom. "Mommy!"

"Just a minute, Josh." Angela turned to me. "How can I help?"

"Get out with Josh and Isaac, find a place to gather a ways from the bus, and help anyone who needs assistance as they come out." I told her. "Go!" I gestured that she should hop out the back. "I'll get Josh." He was still reaching for Angela.

I tried to move quickly, but reassuringly, as Angela exited the bus. "I'm going to let you down to your mom now, okay Josh?"

Josh nodded. I lowered him down to Angela, who managed to hold onto both her sons. I breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe, so I needed to keep moving. _Don't panic_, I ordered myself, _don't panic, don't panic, don't panic._

Somehow this mantra changed to _Edward, Edward, Edward_. He was my strength. _He_ was worth all this. I could be brave for him. I moved to the next set of raised arms, the match-maker grandmother and her husband Marcus. "Are you both all right?" I asked, concerned.

"I got hit by a bit of glass and Didyme needs to take her insulin soon, but nothing that can't wait," Marcus responded, in a tremulous voice. "We were lucky," he added, kissing his wife's hand. I noticed the cuts on Marcus's arm--a few trickles of blood were coming out again. I closed my eyes, my mind reeling from the sight and smell. I looked away, breathing through my mouth.

"Are you all right, dear?" Didyme asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, just not so good with blood. We need to keep moving quickly...can you get out the back of the bus on your own?" I asked hurriedly.

"I think so...we're not too ancient yet," Marcus chuckled. I was surprised, but pleased that they could find humor in this situation. "Please go help our friends, though," he said, nodding to two other elderly couples who were waving at us shakily from a few rows ahead.

"Why weren't you sitting with them?" I asked, my reporter mind getting the better of me. _Now isn't the time for curiosity, Bella,_ I scolded myself.

"They wanted to nap," Marcus explained, "and Didyme likes talking."

I nodded in understanding as Didyme smacked her husband fondly. I flashed them a quick smile and kept moving as they rose from their seats. I was making a conscious effort not to look up where Edward was because that was where the blood was as well. I could feel myself getting dizzy. I had to force myself to just concentrate on the next thing.

_Blood...bodies...__**no**__. Stop thinking about it. Think about Edward. Keep going. Be strong._

I never believed in out-of-body experiences, but that was what it felt like I was having. The part of me that _felt_ cut itself off from the rest of me. The part of me would have cried, panicked, and fainted dead away, detached itself from my body. The rest of me kept moving automatically.

Before I reached the elderly couples, I helped a woman named Heidi, who was struggling to get out of her seat. She could barely stand up. She said she was experiencing back pain from being jarred around, but otherwise she was all right. She had a heavy coat on that had sheltered her from the glass. I gave her Edward's phone and told her to keep trying it, along with any others she could get. She nodded, wincing. I could tell she was trying not to cry. I guided her to the back of the bus, where Angela helped her down.

As I was helping one of the elderly couples, who were severely shaken but without severe injury, to the back of the bus, I saw Angela coming down the aisle towards me.

"Angela," I said frantically, "You need to get off the bus."

She shook her head. "You can't handle blood. I'm going to go help Edward. The boys are safe outside with Didyme." She rushed forward, where it looked like Edward was working feverishly over a body.

I opened my mouth, but then shut it. _You don't have time to argue,_ a voice in my head warned_._ I looked to the side. A man was standing, wincing as he moved out into the aisle. "Sir?" I asked, rushing forward, "Are you hurt?"

"You told me to keep my hand up, but I figured I should be getting off this damn thing," he snapped. Then his voice softened, "I'm sorry, I'm just in a fair amount of pain...I got some glass in my arms and back, and a big piece in my leg, but I can handle getting off the bus."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Go help them," he jerked his head toward another elderly couple. They were severely shaken and weren't feeling very well. I was worried that one of them, Caius, might have a heart attack. I helped them both off the bus, with aid from Marcus who was waiting outside the bus to help them down. From what I gathered from their brief bought of conversation, the three elderly couples were friends.

Once I had helped them off, I paused. Since we hadn't exploded yet, I assumed the engine had probably just died and not caught on fire. I stopped to count numbers. I couldn't calculate as quickly as Edward, but he had told me there were eighteen people on the bus. Edward, Angela and her kids, and I made five. The three elderly couples were six more, plus Heidi and the man with glass-induced injuries, which made a total of thirteen. That meant there were five remaining passengers, including the bus driver, who were severely injured...or dead.

* * *

**Edward's POV**

My brain was overflowing with thoughts by the time I made it to the front of the bus.

_Okay,_ I told myself. _Focus. Don't over think. Stay in the moment. What's most important?_

Given that I had no medical supplies at the moment, I determined that the best thing to do was assess who was alive and attempt to stop the bleeding. I counted five bodies. A man and a woman, who were sitting across from each other, were conscious, so I examined them first. They had severe lacerations from the glass to various parts of their bodies and were moaning in pain. There was blood spreading rapidly over their heads and arms.

"I'm a doctor and I'm going to help you," I assured them both, as I took inventory of their injuries. _Damn_, I thought, looking around frantically. _I__ need bandages and scissors, and tweezers to get the glass out of these cuts, and pain medication._ I sighed._ I need a hospital. But, I don't have a hospital. So what can I do? Be resourceful. _Frantically, I looked up and around. _First aid kit,_ I thought. _There must be a first aid kit on this damn thing..._

_Yes! _I thought, spotting one in an overhead compartment near the bus driver. I rushed forward, reaching over the bus driver's slumped body in order to reach it. Before I headed back to my two conscious patients, I check on the three others. The bus driver's neck was snapped. I checked for a pulse, knowing I wouldn't find one. I couldn't help thinking, _he deserved it_.

The other two apparently unconscious men, however, clearly didn't deserve death. I realized they must have been the ones who had rushed forward in an attempt to stop the bus driver. As a result, they weren't in their seats and had been thrown about quite a bit. One man's body was contorted and it appeared that the back of his head had slammed into the wall. Quickly, I felt for a pulse. There wasn't one.

The second man was breathing shallowly and his pulse was weak. He was lying in an expanding pool of blood. I looked over his injuries—his face was full of glass. With a sinking feeling, I realized that glass had pierced the carotid artery in his neck and the femoral artery in his leg.

I had to make a split-second decision. I wasn't prepared—I didn't have the tools—to save this man. I could keep him alive temporarily, but help would have to arrive soon. If I focused on this man, I could lose two other people, when it was unlikely that he would survive.

I had to let him go. As blood flowed around him and he gazed blindly up at me, I whispered, "I'm sorry," and turned away.

It was then that I understood the saying "it felt like a lifetime." I had stood over this man for barely fifteen seconds…but they felt like the longest fifteen seconds of my life. Yes, I had made tough decisions about patients before. But I'd never had to choose between people's lives before. I had never sentenced someone to death. I was trained to save until no more saving could be done.

But I turned away because I couldn't lose two more lives. Opening the large first aid kit, I found that it was surprisingly well-stocked. _At least something is going right_, I thought, laying out supplies. I placed latex gloves on my hands and began examining the man's injuries.

The man seemed to be worse off; he appeared to have fallen unconscious during the brief moments that I had been gone. I realized that his leg was twisted in a strange position as though it had been slammed violently into the wall of the bus. There was blood flowing quickly from a cut on his head and sluggishly from one on his arm. I worked to remove the glass from his head wound first, knowing he would need stitches. I tried to work quickly; he had already lost a lot of blood. By the time I finished, my hands and arms were covered in blood. I needed to take care of his head wound quickly, since it was bleeding so severely.

The woman moaned from the seat on the other side of the aisle. "Please," she murmured, "_please_ help me."

_I need more hands,_ I thought desperately. _Could I ask Bella—?_

I hadn't even finished the thought when Angela was by my side. "Tell me what to do," she said immediately. Without looking up, I told her, "Thread the needle in the first aid kit." It looked as though it was only two glass shards that had cut his head. I removed them quickly with a pair of tweezers I found in the first aid kit, before poking around the cut for any more damage. I poured disinfectantover the cut. Angela handed me the threaded needle.

"Thanks. Go help the woman now. Tell me about any injuries she appears to have. Press gauze or clothing onto any major lacerations. Try to keep her awake."

"She's got a lot of glass in her back…it cut through her shirt…I think one of her arms might be broken. Does anything else hurt?" she asked the woman.

"My head," the woman gasped, "I…I think…I hit it…and my arm..."

"Edward…I can't apply pressure to some of these cuts…there's still glass in them…" Angela said hesitantly, "I think I'll end up pushing it further in.

"Do what you can," I said harshly, sewing up the man's head wound. I moved to the cut in his arm. Quickly, I picked the glass out and cleaned it. I turned to find Angela standing there with an empty plastic container and disinfectant and antibacterial salve in one hand.

"You go over and help her," she ordered. "I sew all the time—Josh is always getting holes in things. I've even stitched him up a couple times when we went camping. You need to focus on getting the glass out because I'm afraid I'll just make it worse. Let me sew."

I hesitated, and then nodded in acceptance. We had to be efficient. I moved over to the woman, and after disinfecting the tweezers and scissors, began working on her injuries, murmuring reassuringly. She was leaning forward against the shattered window, her back exposed.

"We need to get them pain medication," I said to Angela, "I don't know if there was much in the first aid kit, so we should round up all our supplies. I want to make sure we prevent infection and get that man conscious again. Medication will help." _A hospital would help_, I couldn't help thinking again. _I wouldn't be surprised if these two have internal injuries…and that's not even accounting for those who are outside. Even if they feel all right now, sometimes the adrenaline masks the pain ._

Angela nodded. "We can ask Bella when she's done getting people off." I finished pulling another piece of glass from the woman's back as she gasped in pain.

Just then, I heard Bella speak from a few rows back. "What…what can I do?" she asked timidly. Instantly, I felt my tensed up muscles relaxing, just listening to her voice. I continued to work over the woman, but I had to force myself to concentrate. I badly wanted to sweep Bella up and comfort her. She shouldn't have to be part of this nightmare.

"Can you get the pain medication in the first aid kit?" I asked her gently.

"I got that, Edward," Angela said quickly. "Bella, why don't you go check on the passengers outside and ask them if they have any pain medication they can donate? Basically, round up supplies. Ask Marcus, he knows what he's doing. Once you do that, you should check through the seats on the bus—see if anybody left anything useful behind. Come back with any pain medication and water that you find. Oh, and tell someone to keep checking for cell phone service." I nodded approvingly at Angela's orders, although I wondered why she seemed to be keeping Bella away from the front of the bus.

"O-okay." Bella said faintly. I looked up at her immediately, concerned, but she was already hurrying away back down the aisle.

Angela was beside me now, her shirt covered in blood. She held several syringes and two bottles. I read both labels. One numbed the pain, while the other reduced inflammation. I gave both to the woman, and then grabbed another syringe and moved over to administer them to the man.

"Edward?" Angela asked. She sounded worried.

"Yes?"

"What about the other three? Are they…alive?"

She probably knew what I would say, but I answered her anyway. "They're dead," I said, voice breaking slightly. I didn't mention that one of them might not be dead yet.

"Oh." Angela was silent as I continued to remove glass from some smaller cuts on the man. When I turned to check on her, she was carefully cutting away at the woman's shirt and stitching up the clean cuts on her back. I was grateful to have her—resourceful and cool-headed as she was. _She would make an excellent nurse,_ I thought.

"Edward?" Angela finally asked again.

"Yes?"

"What about the rest of us?" she asked, her voice trembling for the first time. "Will we be okay?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Angela," I told her honestly. "I truly don't know."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Please don't make too many assumptions about the Volturi characters. They will be a little bit--although not too much--out of character in this story. The differences in Marcus's character are simply a result of the fact that his wife survived. If you want to learn more about Marcus and Didyme, go to www(dot)stepheniemeyer(dot)com/bd_faq(dot)html or check the link on my profile page. It's quite interesting.

Please review! It only takes a minute or two and it helps keep the writer's block away! ;)


	9. Suitcases and Cell Phones

**I want to apologize for going MIA on you all. I meant to get this out a few days sooner, but it's been a tough week. School, life, and my health combined forces and kicked me down hard.**

**On a brighter note, Public Transportation has passed the 100 review mark! Thank you all! You guys are an amazing review crew. :) I'm giving a shout-out to Siobhan because I can't reply to her reviews, but I want her to know I'm enjoying them! Second, a big thank you to Babette12, who is the most amazing and prompt beta around (seriously, this chapter would have taken another week if it wasn't for her)! **

**Suitcases and Cell Phones (Bella's POV)**

I was terrified.

I was having an internal panic attack. On the outside, I tried to appear calm, cool, and in control. In truth, I was anything but.

No one else was panicking. As I walked toward the other passengers, I could see that even Isaac had calmed down and was now fast asleep in Didyme's arms. The other passengers were clearly either in shock or pain, but no one was running around screaming their head off.

I was about an inch away from doing just that.

_We had just been in a bus crash, for goodness sake. _Nearly all of us were injured or at the very least severely shaken. Half of us were stranded on the edge of a forest. Those who weren't were inside the bus, covered in their own blood or someone else's. We had no cell phone reception. As far as I knew, no one else knew where we were. I doubted many people would be driving up Mount Saint Helens on a weekday full of nasty weather in the middle of January. And even if they did, wouldn't they just drive right by without noticing us?

The worst part was that there were five people who really, _really_ needed to get to a hospital.

I had to swallow back the bile that rose to my throat as I thought about the blood and bodies. _Bodies_. I was quite sure that at least two or three of the five people were dead or close to it.

_Dead_. My god.

I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I wanted to be safe at home in my bed. But what I secretly really, _really_ wanted was for Edward to wrap me up in his arms. I knew that was the only way I would feel safe right now.

But that wasn't an option because there were five people who needed Edward far more than I did, and Edward needed me to help the rest. So I would.

As I approached the other passengers, I assessed the situation. It looked as though the bus had run off the road and headed down a steep slope, which was in the distance above me. About half way down, we had hit a huge boulder on one side, which must have caused the windows to shatter. _That was why those toward the front of the bus were more severely injured,_ I deduced, shuddering. Eventually we'd come to a stop, with help from some trees, near the edge of the forest.

I was trying to figure out how easy it would be to climb back up the hill to the road when I noticed that there were colorful dots near the bottom of the hill. _Suitcases_, I realized. When the bus skimmed the side of the outcropping it must have popped open the bottom compartment where the suitcases were kept. I shook my head. _This situation just gets worse and worse_.

By now I had reached the passengers, who were sitting along a large log, which was to the right of the path the bus had taken. Josh ran over to me, attaching himself to my leg. I picked him up, and then took a deep breath as everyone turned to look at me. "How is everyone doing?"

"How do you _think _we're doing?" came from Caius.

I attempted to smile at him, but it probably looked more like a grimace. "I know this isn't an ideal situation by any means, but does anyone need to be aided by Edward or Angela immediately?"

Caius opened his mouth again, but Aro whispered something to him and he subsided, muttering grimly to himself.

Marcus cleared his throat. He must have wiped off his arms; his blood wasn't flowing any more. "Didyme really needs to take her insulin."

"I'm fine, Marcus," Didyme protested.

I spoke up. "Marcus is right. We don't need anything else going wrong. Where is your insulin?"

"That's part of the problem," Marcus explained, "It was in her suitcase; she was going to take it when we got to Portland...and now, well," he gestured toward the hillside.

"I have an idea," I said, as Josh squirmed in my arms. "Hey Josh," I said to him, "do you know Marcus?"

"That man there?" Josh asked, pointing at Marcus. I nodded. "Yes. _He's _nice, but I don't like that man," he said, pointed to Caius, who looked offended. I stifled a slightly hysterical giggle.

"Well, you and Marcus are going to play a game."

Josh nodded seriously. "I like games."

"You get to play 'find the suitcases'. You help Marcus look for special things inside. It's like a scavenger hunt," I explained.

Josh grinned. "Let's go!" He seemed to have recovered from his earlier fear from the accident. I set him down and he ran over to Marcus.

"Marcus," I said, "You also need to look for other medications, fluids, and maybe bandages--anything that you think would help those who are injured. I give you permission to look in all suitcases. Unless anyone objects?" I asked, staring everyone down.

Nobody did. Marcus nodded and let Josh drag him off toward the suitcases. Didyme called after them, "It's the pink suitcase with the blue medicine bag."

Marcus looked back at her, smiling. "I know," he said simply, before heading determinedly off toward the bottom of the hill.

I turned to everyone else. "Heidi...and...what's your name?" I asked the man who had some small pieces of glass in his arms and upper back. He was quite bloody. I swayed, before looking away.

"Demetri," he said, nodding to me, and then wincing with the movement.

"Heidi and Demetri, how are you both doing?"

Heidi was sitting stiffly. She was quite beautiful, I realized, with rich mahogany hair and a willowy build. "I'm all right," she said, her voice laced with pain. "If there's extra medication, though, I could use some pain killers...and I'm not going to be able to walk far...it was painful just getting over here."

I liked her. She was honest, without complaining.

Demetri smiled at her and said, "I'm in a similar situation, but I should try and get the glass out of these cuts, if I can. Hopefully Marcus will find a pair of tweezers or something. But I'm okay. I'll deal."

Heidi spoke up again, "There's still no reception on any of the phones we tried." I noticed a large pile of phones beside her on the log.

My face fell.

Heidi continued hesitantly, "We thought...maybe at the top of the hill there might be reception? But...you're probably the only one who could make it to the top."

I nodded slowly. The hill was daunting, especially for someone who tripped over thin air, but I would do it. For Edward. For everyone. I grabbed the phones, putting them into a backpack that Demetri held out to me.

"I emptied it out," he explained. "But there's a red scarf in there...I thought maybe you could tie it to something up at the top...maybe make the broken guardrail more noticeable, so that someone will notice the crash."

"We should never have gone through that guardrail," Caius said, his voice grating. "Logically, a guardrail in good repair--"

Aro cut him off. "I saw it out the window--it wasn't in good repair," he explained. "That whole section along there was practically rusted through and at the speed we were going, it would take a lot to stop a bus."

Caius huffed. Heidi rolled her eyes and I couldn't help smirking at her slightly. She returned my look with a grin. "Good luck," she said.

I swallowed noisily. "Thanks...I'm going to need it."

Demetri stood with me. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm going to go help...Edward and Angela, you said?" he responded, already walking back towards the bus.

I shook my head, "You're in no condition to go back and help. _No one_ is in any condition to move, except for Edward, Angela, me, and somewhat Marcus. And I suppose Josh as well. You sit. I'll be back as soon as I can. Ask Marcus to find you a pair of tweezers and start making some extra bandages for you as well as those in the bus"

Demetri looked like he was about to argue, but he swayed dangerously and had to grab onto my shoulder. I stared him down. "Go back and sit down," I told him sternly. "Figure out what we need to do if we get stuck here over night," I added quietly. Accepting the reality of the situation, he finally nodded and he leaned against me as I led him back to his seat.

Then, I turned back and faced my newest nemesis: the steep and rocky hillside.

* * *

It took me a long time to reach the top of the hill. I stumbled and fell and slid backward frequently. There was nothing sturdy to hold onto. As I moved upward, tiny landslides of dirt and pebbles appeared below and around me. I couldn't help blushing, knowing that some of the passengers were watching me from below. I must look like an idiot.

_I shouldn't have been one of the uninjured,_ I couldn't help thinking. _Demetri or Heidi could have done so much more. They could have actually been a help to Angela and Edward...I'm absolutely __**useless**__._

Half way up, I found a grassy spot to sit momentarily and rest. I pulled out cell phone after cell phone from the backpack Demetri had given me, but there were no bars on any of them. No service. _Damn_.

So I continued onto the top, finally reaching the road. I looked around and upward. I doubted that anyone would be coming by here any time soon. It had stopped raining right before the crash, but the sky was a gloomy grey and it was only getting darker.

_We don't have that many more hours of daylight,_ I realized.

I examined the broken guardrail, realizing it was nearly rusted through anyway--Aro had been right. I shuddered, remembering the shrieking noise the bus had made as it cut through it.

Recalling the purpose of my climb, I turned to the trusty backpack again. My heart sunk as I pulled the first phone out. No service. I tried the others, hoping maybe a different company had better reception. No luck. Then, I turned all but one of them off in order to save the batteries.

My eyes pricked with tears. We were running out of options.

Presumably, the bus company would realize we hadn't arrived in Portland at some point, but they would have no idea where we were. We had no way to get help, except by way of this road. Edward and Angela needed to help those who were injured, and everyone else was probably either too injured, too young, or too old to be able to make it up the hill. So it was up to me. I could sit by the roadside and wait, or I could start walking and hope to reach some point of civilization, if a car didn't come along.

I already knew what my choice would be.

I descended the hill first though. I had to see Edward one last time. I couldn't just leave. I felt incredibly selfish because I knew if a car passed by without stopping while I was down here, it would be my fault for our lack of rescue. I did my best to prevent that though. I had tied Demetri's red scarf to a conveniently placed sapling, and even found a chalky rock and wrote out "Help" and "SOS" with arrows along the road. They would disappear in an instant if it began to rain again, but desperate times require desperate measures.

But I couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Later, I realized there were better reasons for going back, like collecting supplies to take with me. But at the time, all that mattered was Edward.

By the time I had made it back down the hill--which was even harder than climbing up it--Marcus and Josh had found Didyme's insulin and Aro was carefully extracting glass from Demetri's cuts with a pair of tweezers. I admired Demetri's strength. He barely winced the whole time. There was a pile of supplies beside the log, along with a couple of the smaller suitcases. Didyme and her two friends were making bandages from sheets by making a small cut with a pair of nail scissors and then ripping them along the grain of the fabric. Angela was sorting through the supplies, with Josh rushing over to her every minute or two with some new item Marcus had found.

"Any luck?" Heidi called over to me.

I shook my head. The lump in my throat was hard to talk around. As I got closer, I heard Caius mutter to his wife, who had yet to say a word, "Of course not. I don't see why _she's_ back down _here_...she should be up there waiting for a car to drive by." I felt another stab of guilt.

"I'm going back up there as soon as I can," I told him. He seemed surprised that I had the gall to speak to him directly. "Watch the road for cars, if you wish," I continued.

"Good job getting up that mountain, dear," Didyme said, ignoring Caius and smiling at me. I couldn't help smiling back. Her happiness, even in this awful situation, was rather infectious. "That cursed thing looks hard to climb." I sat down beside her and she pulled me into a hug. For a minute, I felt like everything would be okay.

"What's our next plan of action?" Aro asked, all business.

"I'm going to look for help," I told him.

"We should stay in a group." Aro said, in a tone that boded no argument. "You really shouldn't be going off on your own."

"It's our only choice," I explained. "There's nobody who can go with me. Edward and Angela are needed here, and no one else is up for the journey. I need to be up by the road anyway, to flag a car down. It makes more sense to start walking back down the mountain, along the road. If I go far enough, I'm sure I can get to a visitor's center or a ranger's station or at least get in range of a cell phone tower. And I'll see any cars that would pass the crash site anyway."

"It _is_our only choice," Aro said decisively. "You should do that...that's really what I was suggesting all along. You must go." It was strange...he seemed like he wanted to take control of the situation. He seemed to be trying to be the leader, although Edward, Angela, Marcus, and Demetri were doing a far better job of that.

Angela came up beside us, her arms full of supplies. "Can you help me bring stuff back to the bus, Bella?" she asked, indicating with a nod of her head that she wanted to speak to me alone.

"Sure," I said, grabbing some of the bandages and water bottles she had in her arms.

"I don't think you should go. _He's_ not going to want you to go," she said softly as we approached the car.

"Who?" I asked, perplexed. "Aro?"

Angela looked at me like she thought I was being dense. "No. I meant Edward."

My heart beat faster as she said his name, but I looked at her like I thought she was crazy. "Of course he'll want me to go. It's what makes sense. He needs to stay here and take care of everyone and you can actually _help_ him because you can be around blood. Plus, you need to stay with Isaac and Josh. Nobody else could even get up that hill, let alone walk for who knows how long." I explained my reasoning once again.

"I just don't think it makes sense. You're bound to get hurt or lost." Angela knew me too well. We had reached the bus by now, and Angela put her supplies down on the back bumper before turning to me. "He wants you to be safe," she whispered. "He's going to hate the idea of you going off on your own, even if it is our only chance of rescue."

"I'll be fine," I told her quietly. "I _have_ to go...I can't just sit here and watch them," I gestured towards the bus, "_die_."

"Bella, three of them are already dead."

My heart sank. "Oh."

"I suppose there's no convincing you?"

I shook my head. "No. Angela, I have to go. For Edward and you and your boys…even Caius."

"What about for you?" Angela asked, before answering her own question. "You always were a selfless one."

I shook my head. _Why did everyone keep calling me that?_ "It's what anyone would do. I'm just in a position to do it."

Angela scrutinized my face for a moment. Whatever she saw seemed to convince her of my resolve. She sighed in defeat, and then her voice grew business-like. "Well, let's get this stuff inside to Edward and let him know. Demetri's getting you some supplies. It's a good thing you came back down because you're going to need water and food and pain medication..."

Her voice trailed off as I pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Angela," I told her. "I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but I'm _so_ glad I got to see you and meet your boys. You're a wonderful friend."

Angela hugged me back and her voice wavered as she said. "Thank _you_, Bella. I'm glad we got to meet up again. Come visit us in Portland sometime. Josh would love that." She smiled and I smiled back weakly, knowing we were both avoiding the thought of what would happen if we weren't rescued.

Angela and I brought the supplies to Edward, who set right to work using them, as I backed away. I couldn't bear to say goodbye to him. My insides felt all twisted up and I couldn't tell if it was from looking at Edward or from being back at the scene of destruction. It smelled like blood, and all the terrifying memories came flooding back into my head. I couldn't be here anymore. I couldn't look at the destruction and I couldn't look at Edward. It was unbearable. I felt like I was going to faint and like my heart was going to stop beating in the same moment.

As Angela began to explain my plan to go look for rescue, all I could think was _what if I_ _never see him again? _I choked out a "goodbye" and rushed out of the bus.

In a haze, I picked up the backpack that Demetri had filled with some of the water and food and supplies they had found. I thanked him as he told me how he could get a fire going and talk to Edward about a shelter before it got dark. Apparently he used to be a boy scout. I simply nodded through all this. I was numb until Marcus handed me a skateboard.

I looked at him like he was crazy. "I bought it for one of my misbehaving grandsons that Didyme was telling you about," Marcus explained, "but I think you need it more than he does. It will make you go faster."

I'll kill myself," I told him. "I can't ride that thing." I had the strange urge to giggle at the hilarity of the situation. _Bella Swan, skateboarding down a mountain road. It's a recipe for disaster_.

"It's worth a try though, isn't it? I saw a sign a ways back that mentioned a visitor's center or something…I didn't have a chance to tell you before. But it will take an awfully long time if you're walking. It will probably still take several hours, even on this. If you can't use the board, you can always just ditch it."

I finally acquiesced and Marcus managed to attach it to the back of my backpack with the help of some rope.

I said goodbye to everyone. They wished me luck, although they looked at me strangely. I suspected my face was twisted into a strange expression, but I couldn't think about that. I knew I needed to get going, otherwise I would never leave, and so I turned and set off.

I was at the bottom of the treacherous hill when I heard him calling behind me, "Bella!" _Oh, Edward._

My heart expanded as my insides deflated. I froze for a moment before turning toward him. He was running toward me...just as graceful and beautiful as ever.

"Shouldn't you be back with your patients? They need you." I sounded harsh and reprimanding, but I was just trying not to cry. _I have to get through this. I have to go._

Edward looked shocked by my tone. I wanted to apologize, but maybe it was better this way. "They're stable. Angela's watching them." His green gaze dropped to my sneakers. "I just...I couldn't let you go without saying a real goodbye," he said quietly.

_Yes,_ I thought. _It was goodbye, wasn't it?_ I hadn't wanted to admit that to myself.

"Goodbye, then," I said finally. There were a million traitorous words that wanted to spill out of my mouth, but I pressed my lips closed. My tongue felt heavy with the weight of them.

"I hope...I hope I'll see you soon and that we all get rescued."

I nodded. "That's why I'm going," I replied shortly, yet again biting off the flow of words.

Edward opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He raised his hand toward my cheek, but I backed away. He had stripped his gloves off at some point, but his shirt and arm was covered in bloodstains. I couldn't afford to faint. Not now. He quickly dropped his hand as I recoiled.

He looked up at me one last time. "Goodbye," he said, his eyes shining strangely.

I simply nodded, and forced myself to turn away from his eyes. I started climbing.

"Bella!" he called again.

In that moment, I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe he really did like me as much as I liked him. Maybe he would tell me that he wanted to see me again or he would beg me not to go, although I still would. Hope rose through me, without permission. I had to remind myself, _he's too good for you._

I was wrong to hope, of course. I turned back, raising my eyebrows questioningly.

"Be safe," he said simply and began walking swiftly back toward the other passengers.

And with that, I turned, climbing and stumbling out of Edward Cullen's life.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I know that was a heavy chapter, but to alleviate that a bit, I have a recommendation for you. There are four Twilight fanfiction readers/authors who do a _fantastic _podcast called **Temptation: A Twilight Fanfiction Podcast**. It's amazing, enjoyable, and highly amusing, so if you are a fanfiction addict, check it out! You can subscribe to it on iTunes or go to www(dot)temptationtwilight(dot)blogspot(dot)com or click the link on my profile page. Go listen! Or if you already listen, leave them comments/emails (because who doesn't like reviews? I know I do!).

Thank you for reading! :)


	10. Impossible

**A few of you were confused by Bella's actions at the end of last chapter. Basically, Bella is afraid she will fall apart if Edward comforts her or says a real goodbye. She has to get help and she thinks she will never see Edward again, so she can't afford to let him know how she feels. She's scared that she won't be strong enough to leave, so she rebuffs Edward to protect herself from more pain and to protect Edward from getting dragged into an impossible situation. Also, she recoiled from Edward because he had blood all over his shirt. Edward doesn't know about Bella's aversion to blood; he hasn't put two and two together yet. I hope that makes sense.**

**Impossible (Edward's POV)**

Caius was being a pain in the neck.

I've never heard anyone complain so much about the injustice of life and I only learned his name five minutes ago. I was around people in far worse situations than his every day and they, at least, had heard the phrase "a positive attitude." I don't think "positive" was even part of his vocabulary, although "attitude" certainly was.

Heidi was rolling her eyes, and Demetri was studiously ignoring Caius as he began dragging himself around, trying to find dry wood for a fire, but I could see a vein pulsing in his temple. Didyme was attempting to divert his attention to happier topics, but it wasn't working. Aro just seemed to be cackling to himself. while his and Caius's wives were silent, apart from the occasional word to Didyme.

I envied Isaac, who was sleeping through Caius' never-ending rant.

I tried to be understanding. I really did. Caius had been through a horrific accident, just like the rest of us, and, if I was correct about his symptoms, might be experiencing minor angina. But honestly, complaining without pausing for air was hurting his heart far more than it was helping. Finally, I ordered him to be silent and to drink some water so that he wouldn't have a heart attack.

I breathed a sigh of relief as everyone fell silent again and I began examining Heidi's back. But with the silence, I began tormenting myself. I glanced up again--for about the thirtieth time--at the lone figure toiling up the hill. I had to physically restrain myself from running after her.

I felt an impossibly strong urge to protect Bella. We'd only met today, but I felt responsible for her. I wanted to take her out of this horrible situation. I wanted to keep her safe, but she might be our only chance of survival. I wanted to be the one rescuing--not because I wanted to be the hero, but because then she wouldn't have to be. Better yet, I wanted to go with her, so I could keep her safe and she could keep me happy.

But I couldn't give her my help because I was needed here...not that she _wanted_ my help. The way she had rebuffed me when I came to say goodbye clearly showed that she knew where we stood. She was selfless and brave, going off to save us all. And I was just the guy who wanted to run after her.

The way she recoiled from me when I had reached up to touch her cheek kept playing through my mind. _She's far too good for me,_ I kept thinking. _She is goodness embodied and I'm just the stuck-up doctor who never could find friends. Even if I could be with her, I would weigh her down. She's better off without me. Acquaintances, but nothing more._

_No_, I corrected myself, _not even acquaintances. Just strangers who met on a bus and shared one crazy day together._

_But if anything happens to her,_ I thought_, I will hate myself even more than I already do._

And just like that, the guilt rushed in. I already loathed what I had done by not aiding the now-dead man on the bus. I had felt for his pulse while Angela was out gathering supplies and he was dead. I could have saved him temporarily, but I had lost the chance.

In my head, I knew I had made the right decision. Focusing on someone with two severed arteries wasn't practical and could have led to more deaths, had I neglected the other two patients. But in my heart, losing a life that I hadn't worked my hardest to save felt like blasphemy.

By this time, I had finished my examination of Heidi, recommending that she move as little as possible and keep taking pain medication. Didyme, luckily, had come well-equipped with medication that she had bought in Seattle, so Heidi and Demetri should be able to regulate their pain, if we were rescued soon enough.

Josh ran over to me. "Edward!" he called excitedly, "Look!" He held out a handful of supplies, which included more disinfectant and another pair of tweezers.

"Good find, Josh!" I praised. His enthusiasm was about the only thing that could make me smile at this point. "You're doing a wonderful job!"

"Yeah!" he said excitedly. "That's what Marcus said. He told me to play 'I Spy' and find a green suitcase," he said happily.

Something told me this was originally Bella's idea to turn this into a game. Her creativity astounded me. She'd turned a scared little boy into an excited and helpful child.

"I'm going to go show my mommy!" Josh told me resolutely.

Didyme stopped him. "Josh, sweetie," she told him, "your mommy is busy right now. She's looking after some sick people. So why don't you go keep finding things? That would help her a lot."

"Okay," Josh said. "How's my bruzzer?"

Didyme looked puzzled. "Isaac's doing just fine, Josh," I told him. I turned to Didyme, "he means his brother."

Josh scoffed. "'Bruzzer' sounds better than 'brother,'" he told me before running off toward Marcus. Didyme giggled.

I turned to Demetri. As I examined his cuts, he told me he was a former boy scout and asked what he could do. I asked about his advice about a camp. I knew I needed to go back to the bus soon and relieve Angela, and was glad that Demetri knew what he was doing.

"Well, I think--" Aro began.

I had run out of patience. "I'm talking to Demetri right now," I nearly snapped. "I'll talk to you later."

Aro looked angry and began whispering with Caius. Demetri shook his head at them and turned back to me.

"Well, I'd recommend collecting all the warm clothes we have because it's going to get cold at night. I was thinking of starting a fire, but we'll need some type of shelter. Can we stay in the bus, or is it too...much?" He winced as I poured disinfectant over some of his cuts.

"I think we can stay in the back of the bus... the engine is probably shot, but it would shelter us from the rain and wind. It is a bit...gruesome toward the front, but I think we can avoid that."

"How many of them are dead?" Demetri asked quietly. I was surprised no one had asked sooner, but I got the sense that no one really wanted to know...to think about that.

"Three," I told him, acutely aware that the others were listening in. "The bus driver and two businessmen. There's a man and a woman who are severely injured, but alive."

Demetri nodded. "Can they make it through the night?" he asked.

"Maybe..." I trailed off uncertainly. "I think the woman will, as long as she doesn't have severe internal injuries. The man is unconscious though. They really both need to get to a hospital."

"When do you think we're likely to be rescued?"

I shrugged as I pulled another piece of glass out of a cut on the back of Demetri's neck. "I don't know...there should be rangers around here somewhere, but I don't know if they will see us or smoke from the fire. I would say Bella is our best bet." It hurt to say her name. "I'm sure a car will come by in the next couple of days, but probably not until tomorrow, at least. There's no guarantee they would spot us, either. So they'll have to see her first."

"I wish I could go with her," Demetri said. "If I wasn't injured..." He trialed off before explaining, "Man, I just don't think it's a good idea, having her go off on her own." I turned to look at the hill again and Demetri followed my gaze. I watched as Bella stumbled. I took two steps after her before I caught myself.

"I wish I could go, too," I told him, trying to cover my actions.

"Do you know her?" Demetri asked. "She's brave as hell, you know."

"We sat together on the bus. She _is_ incredibly brave." I told him. I felt..._territorial_ when he spoke about her, although I wasn't sure why.

"If we aren't rescued by tomorrow and I'm healed up enough, I might try to follow her."

I shook my head, regretful. "I don't think you would catch up...I'm not sure it's safe for you anyway." I looked up towards Bella again, noticing something strange sticking up from her backpack. I tried to remember whether it was there when I had told her goodbye, but all I could remember was Bella's eyes and how closed-off she looked. I shook my head free of the images and voiced my question.

"What's on her backpack?"

Demetri grinned. "A skateboard."

"_A skateboard?_" I asked in disbelief.

Demetri laughed out loud. The sound echoed strangely and everyone looked up at us. His laughter quickly faded as he realized how out of place it sounded. Quietly, he explained, "Marcus had it with him...for one of his grandsons, I think. Bella will go faster on it."

I looked at him skeptically. "You know she trips over everything," I told him. "She's dead clumsy."

"She _is_?" He looked about ready to laugh again.

I glared at him. "Yes."

We looked up at the hill, watching as Bella stumbled towards the top.

Demetri raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Hate to break it to you, but if she's our best chance of rescue, we're in trouble."

I felt my anger flare. Normally, I would have liked Demetri. He was knowledgeable and intelligent, which were both qualities I admired. But he kept dissing my girl...and that made me mad.

Invisible Emmett reared his head. _Did you just say 'dissing your girl,' Edward? Oh, that I lived to see the day..._

_She's not my girl,_ I chastised myself. _Just give it up, Edward. _But I couldn't help defending her. "She's brave," I argued. "You said it yourself. She's incredibly caring and she doesn't have a selfish bone in her body. She'll do all she can for us. That's a lot more than I can say for some people." I couldn't help looking over towards Caius and Aro.

"I didn't mean to insult her," Demetri backtracked, "But it's sure not going to help us any if she trips and hits her head."

"I know that," I said, gritting my teeth. The thought of Bella getting hurt made my heart ache.

I was literally two seconds away from going after Bella when Angela yelled from inside the bus, "Edward!"

I dropped everything and ran, terribly afraid something had gone wrong with my patients. Yet again, I had to shove Bella to the back of my mind.

* * *

Luckily, nothing dire had occurred inside the bus. The male patient had awakened, which was a good sign, although he was experiencing severe pain. After I had settled him again and administered more pain medication, I explained what was going on and applied a new set of bandages. I was worried. Both he and the woman needed to get to a hospital. I was worried about infection and internal injuries. They had also both lost a lot of blood. The man drifted out of consciousness again after a while and the woman was clearly still in pain.

It would be better for them to be lying down, but I was worried about moving them. I didn't have the proper equipment to move them safely and I didn't want to do further damage.

Eventually, I had Angela head outside to see her boys and have everyone gather up warm jackets and other supplies. It was starting to get darker outside, now. I worried for Bella, although I knew she must have long since disappeared from sight.

Slowly, the passengers began trickling back into the bus. The three older women arrived first. Didyme came towards me, with her two friends close behind.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked softly.

I shook my head. I heard Caius loudly complaining from outside. I opened my mouth again, then closed it, afraid I would offend someone.

Didyme laughed. "You want us to keep them quiet?" she asked. I nodded mutely.

Another woman stepped forward. "I'm Athenodora--Dora for short," she said quietly, "Caius's wife. I know he's being difficult, but he's a good man at heart. I'll talk to him."

"Thank you," I said, smiling.

The third woman raised an eyebrow at me, "I'm Sulpicia," she said in a tone that boded no argument. "We'll keep our husbands in line as long as we think you're doing a decent job. You mess up, we set them loose." She smirked at me, then headed back towards where Aro and Caius were standing.

I stared after her in puzzlement. I watched as she and Dora settled next to their husbands, acting like demur wives once again. I looked at Didyme, who just shook her head.

"Don't ask me," she told me, understanding my silent question. "I could never put up with those two...and Aro is my _brother_. I don't know what I'd do without Marcus. But he understands relationships and he says theirs are strong. Dora just adores Caius...and Sulpicia and Aro are both odd balls, so I guess it all works out. We're happy, anyway."

I nodded, checking my patients' pulses again. "Love works in strange ways."

Didyme smiled. "It certainly does." She paused, before saying tentatively, "Marcus was saying that you and Bella seemed to have a very strong bond, but she told me she just met you today."

"Yes," I said curtly, as the pain that shadowed my heart rose. "We just met today. Can you ask Marcus for some more bandages?" I said, gesturing to my male patient, who was bleeding again.

"Of course," Didyme turned and I sighed in relief, pleased I had deflected that particular conversation. But she had more to say, "Don't give up, Edward. Love is always worth the pain."

I shook my head. "Bella--" I nearly chocked on her name, "--doesn't like me like that," I explained as I applied new bandages.

Didyme snorted. "Of _course_ she does," she said as I shook my head.

"It's impossible," I told her stubbornly, hating how true the words sounded to my ears.

"I'll leave you be," Didyme told me. My body language must have made clear that I did not wish to discuss this further. "But a very wise poet named Elizabeth Browning once said 'Whoso loves, believes the impossible.' Don't let your doubts dictate your future, Edward." And with that, she left me to my now-swirling thoughts.

* * *

Once I was certain that both of my patients--whose names I learned were Felix and Chelsea--were conscious at least for a while, I left them in Angela's care. Then I exited the bus to check on Demetri. It was drizzling and nearly dark outside. The temperature was also dropping, which worried me.

"How's the fire going?" I called.

"Not well," Demetri looked frustrated. He swayed on his feet. "Everything is just so _wet_. I found some dry wood under the trees, but I'm having trouble maintaining a fire, even with the lighter I found."

"You could use gas from the bus, maybe?" I suggested. "But it probably makes sense to wait until tomorrow or at least until it stops raining."

"No. I'm not giving up. But I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to see if there's a way for me to siphon some of it off."

Now I was close enough to see Demetri's face. He looked nearly gray and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. "You need to stop," I ordered. "You're not well enough to be doing this. Come inside the bus and get warm."

Demetri shook his head, clearly determined to continue. He swayed again. I grabbed him on one side. "Don't be an idiot," I told him. He slumped against me. "I'm taking you inside, whether you want to or not."

A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "I'm only complying because I'm too weak to resist."

"Fine with me as long as you get some fluids and more medication."

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"You're doing a good job, man. I sure hope it's enough to get us through this."

"Me too."

"Looks like all our hope's resting on Bella now, huh?"

"Yeah," I responded. My throat closed up before I could say anything more. I hoped with everything I had that she was safe. By now, we'd reached the bus and Marcus helped pull Demetri inside.

Apparently, for whatever reason, Sulpicia had set Aro loose. He was standing on top of one of the bus seats, making some sort of grand speech. _Oh dear_, I couldn't help thinking.

"And tomorrow," he was saying, "we must all set out to find rescue together. Whether we must carry some of us on stretchers, we will do whatever it takes..."

"Aro," Didyme was saying, "Felix and Chelsea aren't well enough to move...and don't tell me you could get up that hill."

"Then we must split up!" Aro insisted.

"Yes," Caius agreed, "the doctor, the mother, and the man who was starting the fire must go for help." He hadn't even tried to learn out names. _Why am I not surprised?_ I thought sarcastically.

"Caius--" Marcus began.

I was about to speak up as well, but Angela beat me to the punch. "Aro, Caius, sit down and stop being ridiculous. Edward can't leave because he needs to take care of Felix and Chelsea. Demetri's not well enough--he can barely stand! I'll go for help if I have to, but we need to make it through the night first. So figure out what you need to do to stay warm and stop making ridiculous speeches."

I grinned as I made my way back toward Felix and Chelsea. Felix was out again, but Chelsea looked a little stronger. I was surprised when she spoke up.

"We need to stay together," she said, her voice weak but unwavering. "If we split up, none of us will make it."

That seemed, strangely, to do the trick. Everyone settled down, zipping up jackets and covering up with blankets to stay warm. Angela, Heidi, Marcus, and Didyme were making sure that the children stayed warm. For now, at least, everything was stable.

I was worried about Felix and Chelsea, though. Felix's pulse was weak and Chelsea couldn't seem to stay warm.

I was terribly worried for Bella, as well. Chelsea's words kept ringing through my head. _If we split up, none of us will make it._

_What if Bella didn't make it?_ I wasn't sure I could bear the thought.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I promise happier times (and longer chapters) are coming. Also, I do apologize for the delay. I've been very sick. The updates may be coming more slowly from now on (probably once a week instead of twice) because I have a lot on my plate and real life is more important. But I'll do the best I can. I would love it if you guys would review! :) I love hearing what you think because it always brightens my day.


	11. Skateboarding

**Skateboarding (Bella's POV)**

My second hike up the hill was the hardest climb of my life. It took everything in me _not_ to turn around, _not_ to go back, _not_ to follow Edward and pour my heart out. But sometimes you just _have _to be strong. Sometimes there's only one impossibly painful path to follow. This was one of those times. So I stowed my heart away and let my feet guide me upward.

I only allowed myself to look back once I had reached the road. I could just make out Josh and Marcus working below. In the distance, I could see the tiny figures of the other passengers. I wondered if Edward was with them. I swallowed hard and turned around. I made sure I had two phones on and started walking. I wanted to be able to check them easily for any reception. I fervently hoped for one little bar to pop up on the screens.

I hadn't forgotten about Marcus's skateboard. It weighed heavily on my mind and my back. Even though I knew none of the passengers could see me, I wanted to be far away from them before I attempted to use it. Also, I wanted to at least start my journey without injuring myself. So I walked for about fifteen minutes. My shadow walked beside me.

Strangely enough, it was that shadow that awakened me to my stupidity. I looked up toward the sun, shielding my eyes. It was sliding toward the western horizon. Charlie's voice popped into my head. _Hurry up, Bells. You're burning daylight._ It was the phrase he used whenever he made me go fishing with him.

I blew out a breath and stopped walking. Taking off my backpack, I quickly untied the skateboard and placed it on the pavement near the edge of the road. I shouldered the bag again and, after checking the phones for service one last time, stuck them in my pockets. I realized that while I had been doing this, the skateboard had decided to take off, rolling away from me. The road wasn't even sloping, for crying out loud. I hurried after the board, stopping its escape.

I placed one foot experimentally on the skateboard. _If I have an ounce of grace, agility, or balancing ability...now would be the time for it to appear. Please._

I pushed off lightly with my other foot. The skateboard rolled forward two inches. I adjusted my foot so it was at the very back of the board, took another breath, and pushed off hard. The skateboard flipped upward and hit me in the knee.

"Ow!" I exclaimed. "Ow ow ow. Ouch. Dammit." I kicked the board in retaliation. It took off.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered to myself as I ran after the board. I was grateful that no one was around to see me, especially Jacob. He'd get a kick out of this. He found my injury-induced adventures amusing, although he always took me to the emergency room afterwards.

I finally caught up with my escapee. Carefully, I stepped on it again. _Third time's the charm._ I pushed off with the right amount of force this time. I rolled a respectable distance, managing to maintain my balance. I tried it again and the process was repeated. _Huh_. _This isn't so bad. Faster than walking, at any rate,_ I thought. I had the strange urge to pat my skateboard, like a horse. _My faithful steed_. I laughed out loud.

Ten minutes later, I was still alive. I had stumbled a few times, but successfully remained in a standing position. _Who would have thought? Bella Swan, cruising down a mountain._ My smug thoughts were rudely interrupted as the skateboard began rolling faster.

"Uh oh…" I said aloud as I saw the long, steep downward slope of the road ahead of me. I quickly put my foot down, halting myself and the skateboard as I thought how best to approach this doozy of a hill.

_Doozy,_ I couldn't help thinking. _I'm picking up Edward's vocabulary._ His face swam to the forefront of my thoughts.

I would skateboard down the Hill of Doom (it was steep enough to deserve the capital letters) for Edward. I'd do just about anything for Edward.

I had a goofy grin on my face as I pushed off, but that quickly turned into a grimace of terror.

I'm ashamed to say it, but I shut my eyes. It reminded me too much of the one time I tried downhill skiing with Jake at Mount Hood. He'd been a natural. I'd gone for the baby slopes, but kept falling on my head.

Somehow, I reached the bottom of the hill unscathed. I felt ashamed of my terrified shrieking now.

There was another flat stretch, and then another long slope downward. I decided to face this one with more confidence.

Big mistake. Half way down the hill, the skateboard ran over some pebbles and I was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. I got up with new scrapes on my hands. It seemed like weeks since Edward had tended to my first set of scrapes, but it was only hours ago.

"Ouch," I whimpered. "I hate you, stupid skateboard." _Great, now I was talking to inanimate objects._

I bit my lip hard to keep from crying. _I'm okay,_ I thought. _I'm okay. Demetri and Heidi and the two passengers left on the bus are a lot worse off than I am. Even Caius is worse off than I am, especially with _that_ personality._

_But at least they aren't dealing with an ornery skateboard._ I hurried down the hill, muttering to myself. _What _was_ this? Bella's misadventures with a runaway skateboard? I should have my own damn sitcom…or circus act._

I picked up the skateboard at the bottom, deciding I should just carry it. But just around the bend was another long hill. I bit my lip. Skateboarding was faster than walking, I had to admit. It was also less of a burden—the thing was _heavy_.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I giggled. I sat down on the skateboard and awkwardly folded my legs up. In that moment, I envied Alice. Not how outgoing or vivacious she was, but how short she was. Her legs would fit better than mine did.

I pushed off with my hands and zoomed down the hill. This time my shriek was one of delight. _Take that, skateboard._

This pattern continued for several hours, as the sun began sliding below the horizon. I fell several more times when going on the flat or uphill parts of the road, but on the down slopes—and there were many of them—I was unstoppable. My legs were sore from being bent at odd angles, but I hadn't landed on my head. I felt…victorious. _I have triumphed over a skateboard_, I thought_. What a thing to celebrate._

I continued checking the cell phones, but there hadn't been a signal yet. My stomach sank more each time. I tried to buoy my good spirits, but the long shadows were making me nervous. Given my injury tally in the daylight, I didn't know what would happen if I was still walking or—god forbid—skateboarding in the dark. I'd probably end up falling off a cliff.

I heeded Demetri and Edward's words, as well. I drank water and ate a granola bar after two hours. Edward's voice, especially, kept echoing through my mind. _Be safe._

I didn't want to think about how I was all alone in the middle of nowhere. So I went to my happy place and thought about Edward. I liked his eyes best, I decided. I'd never seen a shade of green quite as bright and beautiful. But his smile was definitely a close second. I recalled how his mouth seemed to turn up more on one side than the other, giving his smile a crooked look. I realized I was smiling goofily down at the skateboard. Obviously it disliked this because a minute later, I had new scrapes on my elbows. _That's what I get for not paying attention._

My mind drifted toward Angela. I hoped she and her boys were safe. She was probably mothering the whole crew by this point or maybe giving Caius a swift kick in the butt. Angela always struck people as shy and quiet, but she had a sensible streak a mile wide. Anyone who was sensible would at the very least give Caius a talking to. _I'm about ready to give my skateboard a talking to,_ I thought, as it drifted sideways toward the middle of the road.

I wondered if Edward could ride a skateboard. He probably could. _I bet he would look all cute and…sexy, _I could help thinking as I redirected my not-so-faithful steed.

That gave me pause. I didn't think many guys looked _sexy_. Alice happily gushed over eye-candy, especially before she met Jasper, as did my other friends from ASU, but I never understood it. They were just guys with muscles…I really didn't see the appeal. Alice had looked at me like I was crazy when I voiced my opinion, but it was true.

I'd never really been attracted to anyone in that way, besides Edward. There had been guys that I liked, but it was usually because they were smart or funny or kind. I saw what was on the inside, and gradually grew to either like or dislike someone based on that.

I'd been attracted to Edward right away, which was new for me. I'd certainly never wanted to lock someone in a bathroom with me before. And through our conversations, he had proved that he was extremely smart _and_ funny _and_ exceptionally kind. That only made him more appealing, but I knew by that point that he was too good for me.

Edward didn't moon over me because of my good looks—not that I had them. He helped me because I was hurt. He was worried about my scrapes (which seemed like nothing to my bruised and abused body at this point). His intentions were so…genuine, and mine were…perverted.

But I couldn't help daydreaming. If we lived in the same city, he might have asked for my number…or maybe I would have been brave enough to ask for his. Maybe we would have gone out. Maybe it would have been happily ever after. Even though he was better than me and I didn't deserve him, you never know.

It hurt knowing that it would never work out. I felt like I was losing something that I'd barely found. I'd never felt for anyone what I felt for Edward Cullen. And I had to give him up.

_No,_ I corrected myself. _I didn't give him up. I never had him in the first place. _My heart hurt.

As dusk turned into twilight, my heart wasn't the only thing that was hurting. My legs were sore and the arches of my feet hurt. My hands were stinging and my elbows and knees were smarting from my falls.

I drank some water and kept going. It would be too dark to see before long, so I needed to get as far as I could. I finally thought I spotted some sort of road sign up ahead. I pushed off on the skateboard. In my excitement, I forgot to make sure I was balanced and somehow managed to catch my shoe in the wheels.

The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back. There was pain shooting through my ankle and I was dizzy from hitting my head on the pavement.

My cry of pain turned into a choked sob. I lay on the ground for several minutes and cried.

I felt like a failure. I wasn't sure I could even move and my brief moment of heroism was gone. Now I was the one who needed to be rescued.

After a while, I sat up, realizing it probably wasn't a good idea to be in the middle of the road, despite the lack of cars. Before I moved any further, I pulled some more food and water out of the backpack and downed some pain medication. At least now I wouldn't be quite so shaky. I felt my head, realizing that a bump was already growing on the back of my skull. _Great_.

Gingerly, I felt my ankle. I gasped as pain shot up through my leg. It was either broken or severely sprained. I glared at the skateboard, before grabbing it and using it as a makeshift crutch to help me stand up. I cried out as the pain increased.

_Just get to the sign,_ I thought. _That's your goal._

After several painful attempts, I made it to the road sign. Right below was what looked like a good walking stick. I carefully bent over and picked it up. I used it to keep my balance as I kept my ankle raised.

_Visitor's Center_, the sign read. _10 miles._

"No," I gasped. "No, no, no."

I sank to the ground again. _Was it even worth it?_ I wondered. _Would anyone even be there at this hour? Could I even find help? Could I even walk on this ankle?_

I didn't know the answer to any of those questions. I pulled out my cell phone. No signal. I kept it flipped open, using the light to examine my ankle. It was swollen already, but I'd had worse. I pulled the scarf that Demetri had stuffed in my bag in case it got too cold and instead tied it around my ankle for support. It would have to do.

I check the time on my phone. It was 5:02. Walking ten miles would normally take about three hours, probably longer on this leg. If I didn't try, the passengers probably wouldn't get help until sometime the next morning. They'd be out there for at least twelve more hours.

It was also getting colder. I zipped up my jacket. At least if I kept moving, I would stay warm. Even if no one was at the Visitor's Center, I could wait there and be more sheltered from the cold.

I adjusted the settings on the cell phone, using it like a flashlight. I tried to stand and nearly gave up. I was in a heck of a lot of pain. I sighed. I needed incentive to do this.

The faces of Edward and Angela popped into my head. It was more than enough incentive to bring me to my feet. It would kill me if they were hurt. What if Josh and Isaac couldn't stay warm?

With that final thought, I began my very painful journey, with my trusty new walking stick and my traitorous skateboard strapped to my backpack once again.

* * *

Two hours later, I was close to blacking out from the pain. I was pretty sure the pain medication was the only reason I hadn't fainted dead away yet.

I tried to think about something else. Alice immediately popped into my head. I smirked, wondering what she would make of my current predicament. While she'd be far from pleased, I think she'd be proud of me. I was being resourceful and Alice was, by nature, a resourceful person. She put ideas into action. Working as an event planner fit her perfectly because it allowed her to use her creativity and her penchant for shopping, but it also challenged her. Her favorite projects were often working for non-profits. She liked using small amounts of money to make a huge difference. She had a great deal of common sense and life skills. Her ability to fix crises and seemingly predict the future amazed me.

I envied my best friend. I always responded to those around me, rather than taking initiative; I was the pawn on a board of power players like Alice. I didn't make bold moves. I went methodically through life, moving one space at a time. I orbited around my job or my friends or my family. I defied Newton's third law; everyone exerted force on me, but I exerted none on them.

Yet, despite my envy or perhaps because of it, Alice and I clicked. We were polar opposites and so we fit together like magnets. Alice understood me. I was shy when I got to college and she brought me out of my shell. The reason I was able to hold a conversation with Edward was entirely her doing. If I'd met him at the age of eighteen, I would have blushed and stammered and run away_. Like you aren't planning to do that anyway_, a voice inside my head whispered. I ignored it.

Alice had brought out my fun-loving side and buoyed my self-confidence. In return, I had brought Alice back to the real world. When Alice started college, she was flighty, much like Renee, prone to whims and fancies. I gradually brought out her practical side. Alice had once confided that without me, she probably would have married some trust-fund big-wig and spent money hand over fist, while feeling lonely and unloved. I doubt that's true, but she insists that I was the reason that she grew out of her lust for rich men and realized what real life was. She fell in love with a down-to-earth but poor southern boy and couldn't be happier.

I couldn't help but think that while Alice would be proud, she'd also be upset. I was running away from a potential source of happiness and I knew it. Alice didn't understand why I settled. She thought I should quit my job—take a risk in the hope of finding something better. But Alice always jumped in head first; I preferred to dip my toes in and stay on the edge of things. Alice would do anything for happiness; I would do anything to stay comfortable. She would advise me to do whatever it took to see Edward again…and I would do about whatever it took not to.

I had a feeling that the details of this bus ride were a secret I was going to keep from her. If I told her about it, Edward would inevitably be mentioned and I would endure months of nagging and undercover get-Edward-and-Bella-together operations. I snorted. That would be a challenge for Alice, given that we lived so many miles apart.

I was so busy worrying about keeping a secret from Alice that I wandered off the pavement and tripped over a large rock. I landed hard on my side. An anguished cry escaped me as everything went black.

When I woke up, everything was still black. For a moment, I panicked, unsure where I was. Phoenix was never this dark. Heck, even _Forks_ wasn't this dark.

Then, my ankle suddenly throbbed and everything came flooding back. The bus. Edward. Angela. The crash. My damn skateboard. Falling. _Oh_. Now I was panicking even more. _Was everyone all right, back at the crash? How long had I been out for? How much time did I lose? Where was my stuff?_

I rolled onto my back and breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that I still had my backpack on. I pulled it off and managed to fumble open another phone, using the light to find another water bottle, a peanut butter sandwich (I wondered idly who had brought that along) and more pain medication. I couldn't have been out for long—fifteen minutes at the most. That was another relief. My fall hadn't hurt my fellow passengers' chances too much.

I searched around for my phone for a few minutes, but I couldn't find it and I knew I couldn't afford to waste any more time, so I set off without it.

It was slow going. After a while, I slipped into a haze. I didn't think anymore. I just kept walking, putting one foot in front of the other…or rather, putting down one foot in front of one walking stick. Every time I accidentally put weight on my ankle, it sent another shock of pain through my system.

I reached another sign, which said I had five miles to go. _Half way there_, I thought. I nearly cried with a strange combination of relief and frustration. _I can do this, _I reminded myself.

The next hours were torturous. I knew that if this was anybody else, they would have reached the visitor's center long ago. The combination of my ankle and my clumsiness meant it took me hours longer. I had to rely on a level of strength I didn't realize I had. I never gave up—not once.

The faces of the other passengers kept swimming through my mind. Marcus… Edward… Josh… Edward… Didyme… Edward…Angela…Edward…

It was hard to admit that I thought of Edward more often than even Angela. He just kept rising to the forefront of my thoughts. I didn't think about my goodbye to him. I simply thought about how I needed to succeed for him. He could save the passengers from death due to their injuries, but I had to save them from hypothermia and starvation. He kept them alive, so I had to do to my part and make sure they were saved. We were a team and I would hold up my end of things for him.

It surprised me when I saw another sign, indicating the visitor's center was only a mile away. It was then that I began to worry. The likelihood that anyone would be there was extremely low, given the day and time. _What if there was no telephone?_ I still hadn't found a signal. _What if I got there and we were still just as lost?_ I was shaking and exhausted. I knew once I reached my destination, I wouldn't be able to walk any farther.

I was still worrying when I finally reached a fork in the road. A small one led off to the side, indicating bathrooms and the visitor's center. _Bathrooms…that'll be nice_, I couldn't help thinking. I turned the final corner and my heart rose.

_Lights_. Headlights, to be exact. Apparently, I'd had a stroke of luck at last. _Yes!_

As I approached, I saw a man heading back towards his car—it looked like he had just finished locking up. When I was close enough, I called out.

"Sir…" My voice was harsh and scratchy. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Sir!"

The man turned. I realized he had some sort of uniform on. He looked warily in my direction.

"Hello?" he asked. "Who's there?"

I finally reached the circle of light, where he could see me. I watched as the man stepped backwards, shocked. I could see now that he was a policeman. He looked older—around my father's age, I would guess. His hair and mustache were both gray. His eyes were opened wide.

"My god!" he exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you?"

* * *

**Author's Note**: So, I hope you all enjoyed that. Thank you for your reviews last chapter! You continue to impress me and I love hearing your thoughts. :) My life is very busy right now, but I'm fitting in some writing time. If you're ever anxious for the next update, I usually have information on my profile page.

Last (but never, ever least) I want to give a HUGE thank you to Babette12, my beta. She keeps my grammar straight and my characters in character. Plus, she's the best person to bounce ideas off of. She is _Public Transportation_'s cheerleader/ninja. She even takes the time to read reviews, so feel free to leave her some love in your reviews if you like because she deserves it. :)


	12. Waiting for Rescue

**I know it's been ages. I'm very sorry. I have good reasons for not posting sooner. If you want details, check my profile page. Thank you for all the fantastic reviews and encouragement. I especially want to thank those who PMed and reviewed just to see how I was doing. Thank you for thinking of me! I never imagined so many people would enjoy this story. It's surprising and exciting! :) As always, a huge thank you goes out to my beta, Babette12, who is absolutely amazing and way more prompt than I ever could be.**

**Since it's been so long, here's a brief recap of last chapter: **_Bella set off to find rescue with the help of a skateboard. She tripped and hurt herself, and then walked for ten more miles on an injured ankle. At the end of last chapter, she found a policeman at a visitor's center. Now the question is: will he be able to help her and save the other passengers in time?_

**Waiting for Rescue (Edward's POV)**

I was an utter mess. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was watching over my two patients, but I knew Felix, as least, wouldn't make it until morning. He needed to get to a hospital, as did Chelsea. I administered medication and tried to keep them awake, but that was all I could do given the situation.

Yet that wasn't the reason I was a mess. I'd had patients die or come close to death many times before. It wasn't a good feeling and I knew I would feel incredibly guilty if Felix or Chelsea didn't make it, but I would deal with it, like I always did.

But I couldn't deal with not knowing where Bella was. I replayed our terrible goodbye a dozen times in my mind, feeling guilty that I wasn't good enough for her. I paced the aisle of the bus, imagining terrible scenarios. Bella lying in a ditch…Bella falling off the skateboard and hitting her head…Bella lost in the wilderness…Bella being eaten by wild animals. My thoughts grew more and more frantic and nonsensical.

It was long past dark by now, so we couldn't even see properly. We had a flashlight and a couple other devices that emitted light (I was surprised by how much we had found amongst the luggage). We were using them sparingly; although I had the flashlight on so I could watch Felix and Chelsea. Bella had the cell phones with her, so she could at least light her way, but I had a feeling that darkness would only increase her clumsiness. I winced at the thought.

_Why does she matter so much to you?_ I asked myself again. It was a conundrum that I couldn't wrap my mind around. I knew Bella was special, but I'd barely known her for a day and I felt like my existence was already beginning to revolve around hers. I couldn't bear the thought of something bad happening to her. _Why did we have to meet like this?_ I couldn't help thinking. _Why did things have to work out _this_ way?_ I'd just met her and now I was pacing a bus in the middle of a goddamn forest while she skateboarded down a mountain.

If someone had told me a week ago that I'd meet the girl of my dreams and then have a bus crash, I would have thought they were crazy.

As I paced, I was careful not to walk too far forward, well aware that there were three corpses lying up there in the dark. So I paced back and fourth near Felix and Chelsea, who were too injured to care, trying not to disturb the more lucid passengers in the back of the bus. I was so distracted that I didn't even notice Angela approaching me until she touched my arm.

"Edward," she whispered softly, "What's wrong?" I kept the flashlight trained on the floor so as not to blind her, so she was just a shadowy figure. I realized her teeth were chattering. I was warm enough from my jacket and my pacing, but I knew she'd been huddled together with Heidi and Didyme, keeping herself and her sons warm. The fact that she cared enough about me to brave the cold softened my reply.

"I'm just worried about…everything," I said. The sentence sounded lame, even to my own ears. "I'm fine though…you should go back to your sons. Keep warm."

I watched as Angela shook her head. "Josh and Isaac are fine. They're fast asleep and bundled in as many layers as Didyme could get on them." I could hear a hint of a smile in her voice. "They're good people on this bus, Edward," she added.

I blew out a breath. "I know…I just wish there was more I could do to save everyone."

"You've done everything to save them, Edward…and Bella will pull through," Angela said. I couldn't tell if she believed that or if she was trying to convince herself.

My throat closed up. I shook my head. "I shouldn't have let her go," I croaked.

Angela laughed softly. "You think you could have stopped her? She's got a stubborn streak a mile wide."

I couldn't help smiling at that. "So I gathered." I paused, before continuing, "I'm just _so_ worried about her…I don't know what to do with myself. She's so _clumsy_, Angela. It's adorable, but it's treacherous as hell out here…" _Oops. I hadn't meant to let the adorable part slip…_

"I know," Angela said, patting my arm comfortingly. "But you've got to have faith. Bella doesn't give up, Edward. She's got a lot of strength. She pulls through almost anything. She and Jake rode motorcycles in high school, you know. When she was first learning to ride, she just kept hurting herself—she went to the emergency room half a dozen times—but she learned how to ride like a pro. Jake tried to convince her to stop, but she wouldn't hear of it."

I smiled at the story, but my heart hurt thinking about Bella in an ER. "But aren't you worried for her? I'm going crazy, here," I admitted. It was a hard thing to say. I was a doctor. I was supposed to be calm, cool, and collected. I was supposed to remain objective. But when it came to Bella, I wanted to be rash and hotheaded. I wanted to go after her, but I was tied to the passengers here.

"Of course I'm worried," Angela said calmly, "but what more can I do? Just pray and look after my boys. If we're still here in the morning, we'll come up with a plan, but for now we just need to focus on making it through the night, especially Felix and Chelsea."

I stared at her in wonder. She had such a solid head on her shoulders. I voiced the thought I'd been thinking about all day. "You'd make an excellent nurse, Angela."

I couldn't see Angela's tentative smile, but I could hear it in her voice. "You think so?" she asked hopefully.

"I really do. If we make it out of this, and you're interested, I can get you information about some programs. You've got all the traits of a great nurse—and you're even more level-headed than I am."

"Thanks, Edward, I might take you up on that…although I don't believe the last part."

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, remembering that the other passengers were probably listening.

"You're very level-headed. It's just…not when it comes to Bella. It's true that she's one of my best friends from high school, but to you, I think, she's something more."

I was silent. _What could I say?_ I'd been called out, but it didn't matter because Bella didn't feel the same way. Angela patted my arm again. "You don't need to say anything, Edward. I know it's true…and it's not as one sided as you think, either."

I opened my mouth to deny her claim, but she turned her back on me to check on Felix.

"Edward!" she said, her voice suddenly sharp. "He's burning up!" Quickly, I returned to Felix, trying to do what I could, while being careful not to jostle the leg that I had set earlier.

I turned back to Angela. "He needs to get to a hospital," I told her, my voice betraying my helplessness. "He's probably only going to live for a few hours longer. He's slipped into unconsciousness again and his fever is out of control. Chelsea's getting worse too. I can't get her warm, but she's too injured to have someone else use their body heat to keep her warm."

"Would a fire help?" Demetri spoke up suddenly from the darkness towards the back of the bus. "It's not raining anymore. I could try starting one again."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think we should move her. But we might have to if she gets any worse."

"I'm going to go see if I can start a fire, at least. Some of us aren't staying very warm and a fire might help," Demetri said. "I've got all the supplies right outside…I'll take the penlight and be back in a few minutes."

The bus slipped back into silence, as everyone listened to Demetri moving around outside. I heard a few people praying from the back of the bus. I was hovering over Felix and Chelsea, both of whom were unconscious now. One was far too hot; the other, far too cold. My lips pressed together as I realized how grim the situation was.

_Please Bella_, I couldn't help thinking. _Please be safe. Please find help._

Just as a fire sparked to life outside, I heard a low whirring noise. I couldn't figure out what it was, until Josh said sleepily, "Mommy? Is that a 'copter?"

It _was_ a helicopter. I almost cried in relief as I heard sirens approaching from a distance. _Bella was all right. She'd found help after all._

* * *

**Bella's POV**

Relief swept over me once the policeman had radioed for help. I had done my part and rescue personnel were on the way. I only hoped they would make it in time to save everyone.

Of course, it had taken a while to explain the situation. Luckily, the man had heard about us—apparently the bus company had sent out a call to a police station about a missing bus. This information had been relayed to police stations all over Southeastern Washington. As soon as the policeman heard we had crashed, he calmly asked me to explain where we'd gone off the road. It was surprisingly easy for him to recognize the location. Apparently the curve where we'd gone off the road was known to the local rangers as the "Devil's Turn."

From what the person on the other end of the radio said, it sounded like they were sending several ambulances, a fire engine, some rescue vehicles, and two helicopters.

"They'll get there soon," the policeman reassured me.

"Can we go back and help?" I asked, thinking of Felix and Chelsea. I knew the rescue crews would arrive soon, but it would take them some time to get down that dreaded hill.

The man shook his head. I opened my mouth to argue, but he beat me to it. "I'm sorry darlin' but my orders are to get you to a hospital. I was just locking up here as a favor before ending my double shift and the chief doesn't want me out any longer. I tried to argue, but he's right. There's very little we could do. I don't have the right equipment or supplies."

I looked down, trying to blink away the strange tears in my eyes. I knew he was right but the pull to return to my fellow passengers—especially Edward—was strong. I was trying to put off the inevitable goodbye.

Suddenly, the one leg I was standing on gave out. The policeman steadied me. "Careful, darlin'…let's get you into the car, okay?" I nodded. I'd been on my feet too long and I was weak and shaky.

He helped me to the passenger seat. It seemed so surreal. Only this morning, I had been in the same seat in another police cruiser. The two situations seemed separated by a lifetime. It seemed so strange to be "arrested" again that I choked out a laugh.

The policeman looked at me strangely as he handed me a plastic water bottle. "Thanks," I told him, after taking a sip.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked. Apparently, my laugh had been rather disarming.

"Yeah…I'm not sure…I mean…I think so. How soon will the rescue personnel come?"

"Real soon. It shouldn't take long. I'd say twenty to thirty minutes, since several of them were put on standby in the area. I'm sorry that there's not more we can do…I'm gonna drive you to the hospital now, okay? We need to get you—especially your leg—checked out."

"O-okay," I told him shakily.

"It may take a while. There isn't much out this way. We'll probably need to go at least to Castle Rock or Kelso, this time of night. Where you heading, darlin'?"

"Phoenix...in Arizona"

"Well, I don't think you'll be going anywhere tonight. You got anybody to stay with up this way? If not, we'll work something out."

I ran through my options. Charlie was out. If I went back to Forks, he wouldn't let me leave for at least month. He'd be too worried about my safety. Then, I thought about Alice and Jasper. Alice had been begging me to stay with her for months—she'd love putting me up for a night.

I suspected Charlie had heard about the bus crash through the police grapevine, even though he wasn't stationed in this part of Washington. Alice probably hadn't though. I'd told her I would call her if I had time to meet her in Portland while I waited for the bus transfer. Since I hadn't, she might be a little worried, but would assume I just hadn't had time.

I took another shaky breath. "My…my friend Alice lives in Portland. She'd be happy to see me," I told him.

"Okay," the policeman told me. "We'll just get you to a hospital, where I can take down your statement and contact information in case we need to reach you, and then I'll take you to Alice's."

"You don't have to do that," I protested. "I can take a taxi or something from the hospital."

The man looked at me like I was crazy, lines creasing his forehead. "I think you've dealt with enough today. You don't need to be taking anymore untrustworthy transportation. Plus, this way, I can make sure you're safe."

I nodded, trying to bring myself out of my worry. The man started the car, and pulled back onto the highway. The headlights did little to penetrate the absolute darkness that surrounded the car. I stared blankly out the window anyway.

"What's your name, darlin'?" the man asked after a few minutes of silence.

I cleared my throat. "Bella…Bella Swan. Um…what's yours?" It seemed so strange to be chit-chatting when Felix and Chelsea could be minutes from death. I wanted to _do_ something, but I'd done all I could. Now the professionals had to take over.

"Tim Watt."

I glanced at him. His name rang a bell. That, coupled with the fact that he was a policeman, made me voice a question. "You wouldn't…happen to know my dad, would you?" My throat closed up as I thought about Charlie. If he had heard about the bus, he would be frantic. "He's…he's the police chief in Forks, about your age."

"You're Charlie Swan's daughter?" Tim asked, surprised.

"Yeah…didn't you go on that fishing trip last year?"

"The annual police academy trip? Yeah. It was a blast."

I smiled slightly. "Yeah…my dad had a lot of fun. He came back with enough fish to last us for months. I remember him mentioning you…something about you being the brightest bulb in the box?"

Tim smiled. "We like to joke about our names. I get the light bulb jokes because of my last name. Charlie talked about you all the time, you know. We joked that 'Swan' was a bad last name for you, given how clumsy you are." Tim shot a glance at my leg a glance. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you did a number on yourself. What were you thinking riding a skateboard?" he asked, stern, but kind. He sounded so much like Charlie in that moment that I had to blink back tears.

I shrugged. "It was faster."

Tim shook his head in disbelief. "This is so strange…meeting his daughter this way. I haven't dealt with a bus crash before...never even heard of one this bad…" he trailed off, then looked at me, eyes penetrating. "Are you sure you're all right?" The car sped up with his worry. Tim seemed intent on getting to me to a hospital quickly.

My breathing grew shallow as my heart rate sped up dramatically. I felt fear rising in me and I started feeling shaky and panicky. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until my eyes fell on the speedometer.

I swallowed the bile that rose to my throat. "Can you please…please slow down…" I pleaded. The car immediately slowed down until we were going only 30 mph.

"I'm so sorry," Tim apologized immediately. "I was going to rush you to the hospital, but I suppose a speeding vehicle is not something you want to deal with twice in one day. I'll be careful."

As my heart rate returned to normal, I voiced my thanks. "I'm sorry…about that. Thank you for understanding."

"It's no problem. You should eat something while we drive, though." Tim added, shooting me an anxious glance as he gestured towards the glove compartment. "I've got some food in there."

I opened it up, pulling out a cookie and an apple. "You're just like Charlie," I said, shaking my head. "He keeps food in the cruiser too."

"Well, we cops are a lot alike."

"Tim? Thanks for everything."

"Not a problem, Bella. I'd do far more for any daughter of Charlie's."

We sat in silence as the headlights cut a path through the darkness. I watched as trees sprang out of blackness and shuddered every time there was a turn in the road.

"Here they come," Tim murmured. I heard the faint wailing of a siren and once we had rounded another corner, I saw lights flashing in the distance. I breathed a shaky sigh of relief. I felt like I should say something, but my mind drew a blank. I was physically and mentally drained.

The ambulances and rescue trucks whooshed by us as I winced at their speed. "Are you sure they aren't going too fast?" I asked anxiously. Of course I wanted them to get there quickly, but the last thing anyone needed was another crash.

Tim chuckled. "They're very experienced at safe speeding. Trust me—they know what they're doing…unlike your bus driver, I might add."

I felt a chill run through me. I knew our bus driver had been driving erratically and irresponsibly. I knew that the crash had been his fault. But he had paid for it in the worst way—a way no one deserved. Somewhere, he had family and friends who would be hurt and grieving, as did the two other men who had died. My lips trembled as I tried to hold myself together.

Tim and I sat in silence for the rest of the ride, which lasted nearly an hour. I was appreciative of Tim's ability to keep quiet. It seemed to be a trait in many police officers I knew. Most of them were friendly and kind, but they understood that sometimes silence was better. I wasn't capable of dealing with conversation, on top of everything else. My thoughts were too noisy and anxious, running in continuous circles as I thought about my fellow passengers: Edward…Felix…Chelsea…Angela…Josh…Edward…

When we reached Castle Rock, Tim pulled into a doctor's clinic. Apparently, a son of his friend was working late. He'd already called ahead to fill him in. I tried to get out of the car, but I couldn't put any weight on my leg. Tim came around to my side and scooped me up.

"Hey!" I protested. "I can walk!"

Tim just shook his head. "I have to carry you so you don't hurt yourself worse. If you get hurt again…" he trailed off, muttering the last part under his breath, "…Charlie would kill me."

"Are you afraid of my dad?" I asked him, still trying to squirm out of his arms.

"When it comes to your safety?" Tim asked. "Hell, yes. Do you think I _want_ to carry you? You weigh a ton, Swan."

Dr. Neilan was waiting for us at the front desk when we entered. He was a young man, probably about thirty or so. He approached us, smiling warmly, pushing a wheelchair.

"Hey Tim," he said. "Hi, Bella." He smiled warmly at me. "I heard you had quite a day."

I choked out a half-hearted laugh, which echoed strangely through the empty lobby. "You could say that," I said.

"Go ahead and put her in, Tim," Dr. Neilan said lightly, gesturing to the wheelchair.

Tim deposited me in the chair. "You're heavy for a swan," he teased me lightly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, you're pretty dull for a light bulb," I shot back, before I realized how dumb that sounded. _That was a bad comeback._

Tim just rolled his eyes back at me, but Dr. Neilan laughed. _It wasn't even that funny._ "Let's get you to an exam room," he told me. Tim moved to push my wheel chair, but Dr. Neilan rushed forward to it. He kept chattering all the way down the hallway. "The news just got a hold of the story. They're running it now. It's all over the place. From what I've heard, the rest of the patients are being taken to OHSU."

"If…if it's easier…I could just go there," I said tentatively, feeling bad for keeping Dr. Neilan at work late.

Dr. Neilan shook his head. "It's no problem, Bella. You can call me Ned, by the way."

"Or Sir Edmund Neilan," Tim added. "That's what I call him."

"You're a knight?" I asked Ned quizzically.

Ned blushed. "No," he told me, glaring at Tim, "Tim just likes to call me that."

"You're all about the names, I see," I told Tim dryly.

He shrugged. "I can't help it that everyone I know has amusing names. I couldn't believe it when Ned's parents saddled him with that name. It's like they expect him to be riding on horseback or opening a magic wardrobe."

I just shook my head at him before shaking my head at myself. The minute the name 'Edmund' had been mentioned, I had thought of Edward. Clearly I had a one-track mind. I couldn't get him out of my head. I was barely aware of Tim and Ned, who continued to joke around as they rolled me into an exam room. I was too busy worrying about Edward.

"Bella? Bella?" I brought myself out of a daze realizing that Ned was talking to me.

"Sorry…what?" I asked, disoriented.

"Did you hit your head or anything?" Ned asked kindly. "You seem a little out of it."

"No…I mean, I did, but…no, I'm fine. Really. I just…I'm worried about the people on the bus. I just…I hope they're all okay."

"As soon as I have information, I'll let you know, Bella," Tim told me. "The chief said he'd call. I'm sure everyone made it out okay. You said there was a doctor on the bus, right?" _Why did everyone have to remind me about him?_

I cleared my throat. "Yes…he became a resident about six months ago."

Ned shook his head regretfully. "I hope he knows what he's doing. Some young residents these days don't have a clue."

My insides boiled. He hadn't seen Edward on that bus, working so hard to save lives. "You're pretty young there yourself, _Doctor _Neilan. What gives you the right to pass judgment on anyone, especially someone as brilliant and brave as Edward is?" I snapped.

Tim looked at me incredulously as Ned stepped back, his face falling at my outburst. "I do apologize," he said formally. "I did not mean to offend you or pass judgment on your _friend_." He put a strange emphasis on the word 'friend' and I couldn't figure out why.

I sighed, realizing Ned had meant no harm, and put my head in my hands. "I'm sorry. I truly am. I overreacted. I just…you can't imagine what it's like."

"No," Ned said quietly, as he began examining my ankle. "I can't. Bella, I would strongly encourage that you get counseling once you get home. Traumatic events like this can leave mental scars, as well as physical ones."

"I'll think about it," I told him, although I knew I wouldn't follow through.

I watched Ned as he took me to another room to get an x-ray of my ankle. He was the type of guy I would have liked back in college—tall, dark, intelligent, and handsome—but I didn't see that anymore. Ned seemed like someone I could be friends with, but nothing more. He paled in comparison to Edward. _And less than twenty-four hours ago I'd have been hoping he'd ask for my number,_ I thought.

Ned finally determined that my ankle wasn't broken, although it was severely sprained. He fitted me with an air cast and gave me crutches, instructing me to stay off the ankle as much as possible for the next few days. I made a face. "I doubt that's going to happen," I told him.

He raised his eyebrows, smiling at me. "It better…maybe you should give me your phone number so I can make sure that it does." He looked at me hopefully.

_Oh dear._ Internally, I slapped myself on the forehead. Apparently all of Ned's eagerness was an attempt to flirt with me. I hadn't even noticed…my thoughts were trained on someone else. I blushed but rolled my eyes, trying to play it off. "Yeah, right, like I need another person checking up on me…trust me, when my best friend hears about this she will make sure I don't move an inch."

"Pushy best friend?" Ned asked lightly, although I could see that his face fell slightly at my rebuff.

"You have no idea," I told him. "But I love her for it."

After filling out some paper work, and formally recounting my story of the accident to Tim for his report, I thanked Ned again. I joked around with him, but avoided letting it get personal.

"Well," Tim said, helping me toward the front door, "I've got to get this girl down to Portland so I'll see you later, Ned."

"Good luck! Keep her safe for me," Ned replied warmly.

Safe. _Be safe._ Edward. _Can't I even go five minutes without being reminded of him?_

Apparently not. I contemplated this lovely but unfortunate phenomenon as Tim drove me toward Portland. We had just pulled up to the curb near Alice's apartment when his cell phone went off. It sounded like the chief. I waited anxiously as he spoke for a few minutes. Finally, he closed his phone and turned to me.

"They all made it to the hospital," Tim told me, his face breaking out in a smile. "A few of them are in critical condition, but all fifteen of them are alive."

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling tears prickling in my eyes. "They're okay?" I questioned, "You're sure? They're all there?"

"Yes," Tim told me. "The chief says you and your friend the doctor saved the day."

I shook my head. "I didn't do anything compared to Edward. He's the real hero." _I wish I could see him so I would _know_ he was okay._

Tim raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I beg to differ, Bella. I'd say you're both heroes."

I shook my head. Tim just looked at me. "You're even more stubborn than Charlie," he told me. "I didn't think that was possible."

I laughed. I could do that now. _Edward was safe. All of them were, at least for now._

"The chief actually wants me to go over to OHSU to check in with the emergency personnel and the people who will be investigating the case. Do you want to come?" Tim asked.

My heart started beating faster. _I could see Edward. I could make sure Angela was okay. I could stay until I knew that Chelsea and Felix were going to be okay._

And then reality came down around me. I had commitments. I had work. I had a life to get back to, although it seemed washed out and unimportant now. Going to the hospital would just delay the inevitable. I had to leave sometime. It would be less painful to leave now.

I shook my head, my throat closing up. "I can't," I choked out. "I have to see Alice…I have to get home."

Tim nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to talk to anyone at the hospital? I can bring the cell phones back." He gestured towards my feet, where the forgotten bag of cell phones lay on the floor.

"Oh, yes," I said dully, eyes trained on my lap. "You should do that."

Tim pushed something into my hands. It was a pen and a pad of paper. "Leave them a note," he told me gently. "They'll be worried about you, if I'm any judge. I'll make sure it gets to them."

I nodded, scribbling out a message in my messy handwriting before ripping it off the pad and folding it in two and handing it to him.

Tim came around and helped me out of the car. "It's nearly two in the morning…do you think your friend is still awake?" he asked as we made our way to the front stairs and the buzzer.

"Yes, most likely," I told him. "She operates on about four hours of sleep. I think she steals other people's energy because she always has an excess. She'll be up." I buzzed up to her apartment.

A minute later, I heard Alice's voice coming from the speaker. "Who on earth is at my door?" she asked, sounding half anxious and half irate.

"It's Bella," I answered.

"Oh! Bella! What the hell happened? Why aren't you in Phoenix? Why didn't you call? What are you doing here?"

"I—" I began before realizing that this was really an impossible conversation to have this way, especially since Alice was still firing questions at me. "Can you let me in so I can tell you inside?"

"Oh! Of course! I'd come down Bella, but you see, I'm wearing my comfy pajamas and I really don't want anyone seeing me in an outfit with snoring sheep on it…" Alice rambled on as Tim muffled a laugh.

She buzzed us in and we entered the hallway. I turned to Tim. "I've got it from here."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, trust me, you don't want to be around when I tell Alice what happened. You'd be stuck here for another good two hours while she gets all the details out of you. I have a feeling you'd like to get some sleep at some point."

"That's true," Tim said, grinning. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Could you…could you call my dad?" I asked shyly. "I'm sure he's still awake and he's more likely to believe I'm okay if you tell him. Just let him know I'll call him tomorrow."

"Of course," Tim answered.

"Also," I realized, a new thought suddenly dawning on me. _The press would be all over this… _"Please don't tell anyone about my role in the accident. I really don't want the attention."

"You mean don't tell the press?" Tim asked perceptively. I nodded. "Don't worry about that," he reassured me. "We're real experts at keeping our mouths shut."

"Thanks, Tim," I told him, giving him a one-armed hug. He waved it off like it was nothing and headed out the door.

I waited for the elevator and prepared to face Alice. But the reason my heart felt like lead had nothing to do with facing Alice and everything to do with the fact that I was never going to see Edward again.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought of Tim and Ned, especially (and don't be too hard on Ned...he's a good guy...he just can't measure up to Edward :P). Reviews are always much appreciated...I love hearing from you and writing replies! The timing of the next update is up in the air but I'm going to do my best to get it out sooner. :)


	13. Sleepless Nights and Clumsy Exits

**Hooray! It's an update! Only two weeks after the last one, too. :) I just want to say that I love all my readers. Thank you for taking the time read this story. To those who review: thank you for telling me what you think!**

**Sleepless Nights and Clumsy Exits (Bella's POV)**

When Alice opened the door to her apartment, she looked prepared to jump on me and pull me into a hug. She was in midair before she took in my appearance and checked herself, which caused her to fall backwards onto her bottom. If I hadn't been so exhausted and preoccupied, I would have laughed at Alice's shocked and injured expression as she sat on the floor in her snoring sheep pajamas.

Alice continued to gape at me, before finding her voice. "Bella…what _happened_? You look _terrible_."

I rolled my eyes and managed to crack a small joke. "You always _were_ awfully focused on my appearance."

Alice rose to her feet, shaking her head at me. "I didn't mean your clothes, silly, although they _are_ quite a mess." I looked down, noticing my outfit for the first time since the crash. Both my shirt and pants were covered in dirt, blood specks, and grass stains. Alice continued as I examined myself. "I meant you—you're on crutches, although that isn't exactly unusual, but you're scraped and bruised…" she trailed off. "You didn't walk here from Forks, did you? Because that's sure what it looks like."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly…"

Alice paused in her questioning and looked at me carefully. "Are you all right?"

_I wish everyone would stop asking me that. _"I'm just fine."

Alice shook her head, before pulling me into a gentle hug and guiding me into the apartment. "Anyone who says they are 'just fine,' never actually is…and given your appearance, I'd say you're far from fine."

"You're dying of curiosity, aren't you?" I teased. Behind all the jokes, I was so happy to see Alice. With anyone else, I'd probably be crying by now, but Alice made everything feel better and safer.

"You know I am," Alice hugged my side, seeming pleased that I was able to joke around with her. "But," she continued, "I want to make sure you're okay first. I'm going to go get you some water and food and an ice pack for that bump on your head. Just put your foot up and I'll be right back." She threw another anxious glance my way before rushing out of the room. _She has way too much energy considering it's the middle of the night._

I looked around the room for a few minutes. Alice's apartment reflected her tastes—fancy, but comfortable. Yet it was Jasper's touches—the worn brown easy chair, the history books, and the videogame console—that made the room feel homey. "Where's Jasper?" I called to Alice, missing his calm presence.

"He's on a business trip…some psychology conference in New York," she replied. Jasper was working towards becoming a psychologist. If I remembered correctly, he was actually doing post-graduate work at the Oregon Health and Science University hospital, which shortened to OHSU. The same hospital where Ned said they had taken the other passengers and where Edward worked. My stomach dropped as I thought about him.

I watched as Alice come back into the room attempting to balance a glass of water, a plate of food, an ice pack, and a tissue box. "I miss Jasper," she was saying sadly. "I can't seem to sleep much when he's not here."

I grimaced. "I'm sorry." During college Alice was quite the night owl. She'd tried a dozen treatments—from warm milk to sleeping pills—but nothing worked until Jasper came along.

Alice waved my apology away. "It's not your fault…it's just my crazy body. Besides, I'd say you are in far more dire straights." She settled onto a comfy-looking chair across from me and gestured grandly. "Now, if you don't spill your story right now, I will take you to Victoria's Secret tomorrow and make you buy all their most salacious clothing items."

I shuddered and started talking immediately. I'd learned years ago to take Alice's threats seriously. For the most part, I didn't mind shopping with her, although I can't say I particularly liked it, but I drew the line at lingerie. It wasn't like I had any use for it anyway.

"Well, I was on the bus from Seattle to Portland and partway here the bus driver told us there was flooding, so we had to take a detour…" I continued on with my story. I never mentioned Edward because I knew Alice would try and force the issue. She'd be so excited that I actually had a crush on a guy that I wouldn't put it past her to track Edward down.

I didn't feel like explaining my reasons for avoiding him to her when I was having a hard enough time convincing myself. My arguments were all lined up in my head: the situation was hopeless. We hardly knew each other; I had only known him for a day. I had absolutely no idea if he even liked me as a friend, much less as something more than a friend. We lived hundreds of miles away from each other. And, most importantly, he was far, far too good for me.

The problem was that my heart didn't want to listen to my litany of reasons.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Alice spoke. "Keep going, Bella," she urged, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Once you got lost, what happened next?"

I drank some more water and starting eating one of the crackers Alice had brought for me. Reluctantly, I recounted the bus crash, glossing over the details, although I vaguely explained the deaths and injuries. My eyes were tearing up at this point.

"Oh god, Bella," was all Alice said. She hastily came over and hugged my side, snuggling down next to me. It was what we always did when one of us needed comforting. Alice stroked my hair until I calmed down.

"How did you do with all the blood?" she asked quietly.

"Okay, actually. I avoided most of it. There were several elderly couples on the bus, so I was helping them get out. We weren't sure if there was something wrong with the engine for a while, so we evacuated everyone who was well enough because Ed—" I stopped myself. "I mean, because we weren't sure if the bus was going to blow up or something." I hiccupped, tears running down my face.

"Who is 'we'?" Alice asked, discerning as always.

"Just…just some other people on the bus who were helping out. One of them was a doctor, so um…he was helping with the severely injured patients." Normally, Alice might have caught on to the fact that I was omitting certain facts about this doctor, but I was so upset and Alice was so worried about me that she either didn't notice or let it slide.

We were silent for a while. Alice hugged me and handed me tissues as I cried. Finally, she asked, "so did someone find you and take you all to the hospital?"

I choked out a laugh. "No, I did the finding."

"Oh, no…you were off in the woods by yourself?" Alice asked in horror.

"I took a backpack and a skateboard and went looking for—and eventually found—help. Although I stuck to the road…I didn't wander through the woods."

Alice looked at me in admiration. "I'm so proud of you, Bella. That's so brave and coura—" she paused mid-sentence. "Wait…did you say something about a skateboard?"

I blushed. "Umm…yeah…I learned how to ride a skateboard. It, well, it made me go faster."

Alice started giggling. "You skateboarded," she gasped out, "down a mountain? _Really_?"

"Really," I told her, giggling a bit myself.

She looked at me in wonder. "You know, Bella, if I couldn't see the evidence for myself," she gestured to my leg and my head, "I'd think you were making up fairy tales."

My smile disappeared. "They aren't exactly fairy tales, Alice. There isn't a happy ending."

Alice looked down. "Sorry…I know. But you're safe. That's all the happy ending I need."

I sniffed. "I love you, you know," I told her.

"I love you too. I'm so glad you're okay and I'm so proud of you." Her words caused a few more tears to leak down my cheeks. I felt so delicate, like just about anything would start me sobbing again.

We sat in silence for a few minutes until I yawned. "It's time for the heroine to shower and head to bed, I think," Alice said softly. I rolled my eyes at her latest nickname for me. "You can take the guest bedroom. The bed's all made up."

"Thanks, Alice," I told her through another yawn as an exhaustion I felt to my bones sank through my body. "Oh…um…can I borrow some pajamas or something? All my stuff's at home or in the middle of nowhere right now," I said somewhat bitterly.

Alice bounced up again, apparently excited at the prospect of dressing me up, even if it was only for bed. "I'll be right back!" she told me.

"Hey Alice…" I called after her.

"Yeah?"

"If it's possible, could you give me something without dozing sheep on it?"

Alice peeked back around the corner and stuck her tongue out at me. I let out a watery chuckle. "You know you had that one coming," I told her. She just stuck her tongue out further before disappearing in the direction of her bedroom.

As Alice presumably tried to find the perfect pair of pajamas for me, I sat and fidgeted. Tim had said that everyone—with the exception of Chelsea, Felix, and the three men already dead—was going to be fine, but it was hard to trust his word when I couldn't see for myself. I wanted to _know_.

_Maybe I should have gone to the hospital,_ I thought longingly, but quickly shook my head. _It wouldn't help anything,_ I told myself sternly. _I can look up how everyone is doing on the news in a few days…in fact, I might be able to check it now. _That thought made my palms tingle, for some reason. I thought about how I could look up the news without Alice knowing.

"I thought you'd prefer these," Alice told me, holding up a pair of athletic shorts and one of Jasper's t-shirts.

"Thanks, Alice," I said, touched that she'd brought me something I'd be comfortable in.

She cracked a smile. "I know you're shocked. I'll force you into some nice lingerie or fancy nightgown tomorrow night, once you're feeling a bit better."

I looked at her, surprised. "Alice, I have to get home tomorrow. I'm going to try and take a plane or something. I have work—I can't stay here. My boss thinks I'm going to be back tomorrow."

Alice frowned. "Bella, you're not stable. You've just been through this whole ordeal—you really need to take it easy for a few days. Just call your boss tomorrow and see if you can stay here."

I shook my head. "I have to get back to work—they kicked up enough of a fuss when I said I was taking a few days off to go visit Charlie. It's a new year, so we're trying to renew with many of our advertisers. They really need me back. I mean, Tyler might be okay with it, but if Mr. Mallory or some of the other higher-ups catches wind of it, I'll be in big trouble. They're really worried about the newspaper not getting enough advertisers this year. Some of the other newspapers near us have been talking about closing."

Alice looked upset. "Why are you so stubborn, Bella? You've just been through a major ordeal; you've hurt your head and your ankle. Take a few days off. I'm sure they'll understand."

I shook my head. "I can't risk it." Alice wouldn't catch the double meaning, but I wasn't only worried about my job. If I stayed here, I'd be tempted to see Edward and I couldn't afford to like him anymore than I already did.

"Bella, you're not even happy at your job. I don't think it's good for you. You don't have any great friends at the office, just a few people to talk to. I just think you should take a break." Alice was still arguing, which didn't surprise me. We were both incredibly stubborn—sometimes our arguments lasted for days, although most of the time they were good-natured.

I merely shook my head.

"I just want you to be happy," Alice stated.

My heart melted a little. "I know that, Alice, but I won't be happy if I lose my job, especially in this economy." _Another half-truth._ _I wouldn't mind changing jobs, if I knew I could find a new—and better—one, _I thought.

Alice sighed. "I give up...for now. You need sleep, so we'll talk about it in the morning. If you still insist on going, I'll get you a flight. I've got some connections at the airport—we should be able to get you on something."

"Thanks, Alice." I told her as she helped me towards the extra bedroom. "Oh, by the way, could I borrow your computer after my shower? I should probably email Tyler."

"Of course you can."

Alice helped me cover my ankle with a plastic bag and then left me alone to shower. Once I was all settled in bed, I turned on Alice's laptop. I searched for the bus crash and found that several articles and news clips were up already. I scanned through them. They didn't contain much that I didn't already know, but one article confirmed what Tim had told me: "Three of the passengers are dead and two are in critical condition. The other twelve were taken to the hospital, many with lesser injuries. All of the twelve are expected to be fine."

I thought back to what Edward mentioned about the number of passengers before we crashed_. Eighteen passengers on the bus_, I thought. _This article only mentioned seventeen. _So far, at least, the newspapers made it look like I'd never been on the bus at all. I was glad I hadn't been mentioned, but it also made my chest hurt.

I looked towards the end of the article. "How the passengers were found remains a mystery," it said. _Well, let's hope it stays that way, _I thought, before shutting the laptop off and drifting into an uneasy sleep.

I had a terrible night full of nightmares. I woke up several times, thrashing and calling out. The worst nightmare was when I was in the middle of the woods and there were bodies all around me. I looked down and saw Angela, Josh, and Edward, all dead. I think my heart must have stopped for a good minute. I stayed awake after that. I couldn't bear to dream anymore.

I turned the laptop back on, searching again for the bus crash. There were a couple new articles, but no new information.

I was about to close down the computer when my fingers typed "Edward Cullen" into the search engine, almost without my permission. I found his profile on some medical website, which simply stated that he was a medical student and had attended Northwestern.

The next article I found made my heart stutter. He'd made it into some online article already, although I didn't know how. It proclaimed him a "hero," which I certainly didn't disagree with, and had a brief quote from him stating that "apart from the three passengers declared dead, everyone else was alive and all except one were in stable condition." I wondered who that 'one' was. I suspected it was Felix, but I could be wrong about that. I wondered if he possibly meant me or if he had received my note.

I shut down the computer and stumbled out of bed. Alice was already in the kitchen, talking on her cell phone.

"Come on, Fred, you know you want to give me the last ticket," she was saying. "After that last minute wedding I did for your sister it shouldn't be _that_ difficult…of course I'll be paying…Yes, you know I would…no, I certainly wouldn't!...Okay, okay...thanks. Right, bye!" She hung up, rolling her eyes.

"I hope you appreciate the airline ticket I got you because it meant I had to deal with a whole lot of unwanted flirting. Fred has a flirtatious streak a mile wide."

"You got me a ticket? Already?"

Alice smiled. "Of course. I knew arguing would do no good, so I got you a flight that leaves at two in the afternoon. I have a meeting to go to, but I'll be back in time to drive you to the airport."

"You don't have to. I can take a cab."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You're my best friend. I'm not going to make you take a cab to the airport. Now, sit down and eat some Lucky Charms, silly."

"Lucky Charms? Really?" I said excitedly.

Alice grinned. "Of course, I couldn't give up our tradition." We ate Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast every morning in college. We both knew it wasn't healthy and that there were far better and tastier things we could eat, but it was one of those childhood foods that, for us, never grew old.

We talked more about the accident and what had happened afterwards, although I avoided any mention of Edward or Angela. Eventually, Alice left to go to her appointment, since she was planning a law firm party. I meandered around her apartment, worrying. A few times I was half tempted to take a cab to the hospital, but I stopped myself. _It wouldn't help anything,_ I repeated to myself. _They know I'm fine and I know they're fine and that's all that matters._

When Alice came back to the apartment, I was crying. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I…don't know. I just…I'm so overwhelmed and worried." I said, sobbing.

She hugged me and said soothing things. "You're sure you still want to fly home?" she asked eventually.

I nodded.

"Okay, well, we should get going," she said softly.

"Hey Alice?" I said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I really, really need you to drive slowly, okay? And not like a maniac."

She opened her mouth to argue. It was a reflexive reaction. Her driving abilities were something we'd argued about all through college. Something about my expression made her close her mouth this time and I was glad. I knew I would panic if she wasn't careful.

Alice drove carefully toward the airport. I'd never seen her abide so many rules of the road. When we were nearly there, she asked quietly, "Who's Edward?"

I froze. "What…what do you mean?"

"I heard you talking…well, actually, crying out in your sleep. You kept saying his name…you kept asking him to save you…and I just…I wondered who he was," she said hesitantly.

I swallowed. _Could I lie my way out of this? Probably not. _So I told Alice the truth, but only to an extent. "He was the doctor, from the bus. He saved everyone—he's probably the reason why many of us are alive. I was just…having some nightmares, some where I was injured. I probably just wanted him to help me."

Alice nodded, but looked like she wanted to ask something more. Luckily, she was distracted by looking for a parking space.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Alice, I took the flight to Phoenix and made my way home to my small and cramped apartment. While Alice's apartment was by no means large, it felt like a palace in comparison. Mine consisted of a small bedroom and a small kitchenette/living room. I was glad it was small though; it made living alone feel a little less lonely.

After another restless night, I prepared to go to work the following morning, but I felt fragile, like I was about to crack at any second. All I wanted to do was curl up and cry. But I didn't. I'd already missed work and hadn't contacted my boss. I needed to force myself back into things, even though life felt unimportant at the moment.

It didn't help that I was sleep deprived. The nightmares had continued. I was afraid to sleep, so I stayed awake, reading _Wuthering Heights_ for the twentieth time. Eventually, I conked out around 3:00 AM, but I woke up two hours later when I fell out of bed while dreaming about a terrible car accident. It was awful. The images from my dreams haunted me. Bleeding corpses kept flashing through my thoughts as I showered, being careful of my ankle and cast. It took longer than usual to do everything with my ankle injured, but I was used to it.

I spent an inordinate amount of time getting dressed, trying to convey 'business-like' and 'in control' through my outfit. I smirked. Alice would be proud, although I only made the effort to appease my boss, Tyler. He was bound to be unhappy, but it would blow over once I explained myself. He liked me because I was reliable and willing to put in extra hours, so I suspected missing one extra day wouldn't be a big deal to him, especially since I had quite the excuse.

It was only 6:45 when I left for work, but I couldn't bear to stay in my apartment any longer. It was a nice day—the sky was bright and blue. I stumbled over to my truck, hampered by my briefcase and air cast. I was walking without crutches today.

Luckily, I had injured my left leg, so I would still be able to drive. I opened the rusty door and climbed in, throwing my briefcase onto the passenger seat. I slammed the door shut and stuck the keys in the ignition and then froze. The sound of screeching tires echoed in my ears. My heart took off as I looked around frantically, trying to figure out where the sound came from. There weren't any cars on the road outside my apartment.

I caught sight of myself in the rearview mirror, eyes wide with horror, and it dawned on me. I must have imagined the noise, although it seemed so real. I sighed, deciding driving was a lost cause, considering how frayed my nerves were today. I grabbed my bag and clumsily exited my truck. Apparently I was taking a taxi today. Even being a passenger in a car was difficult, but it was far better than driving myself. The last thing I needed was to get in an accident because I thought I was hearing things.

It was only slightly on the early side by the time I got to the building because it was difficult for me to get anywhere in an air cast.

When I arrived on my floor, Jessica was already there. She was wearing a bright pink top and a rather too-short skirt. She approached me, waving and smiling. Her dark curly hair bounced around her shoulders and her brown eyes looked brighter than I'd seen in a while.

"Bella! Oh my gosh! It's been so long since I've seen you! Where have you been?" she gushed. Her smile turned down at the corners. "And what happened to your foot?"

"While I was visiting my dad, I fell and sprained my ankle." I didn't want to elaborate. Jess would tie me up for hours if I told her the real story and then she'd spill it to everyone else in the office. I usually liked Jessica because she was someone to talk to and nice enough to be around, as long as you didn't reveal anything too personal, but I didn't feel like dealing with her today.

"Ohhh…that sucks." She continued without giving me time to respond. "_I_ had a _fabulous_ weekend. I went clubbing with Tyler. It was like, so amazing."

"That's great, Jess," I said, moving toward my cubicle.

She trailed behind me. "It really was. He's like, so nice, Bella. Much nicer than Mike, not that I care about him. I can't believe I didn't notice Tyler before! I mean, why didn't you tell me he was so nice…and so hot?" She giggled as she followed me into my cubicle. "I mean, he's your boss, after all."

"Yeah, he is. Speaking of which, Jessica, I have to go talk to him now, if he's around."

"Ohhhhh…why?"

"It took me an extra day to get back home, so I was missing yesterday."

"Oh, that's right. Tyler had a meeting with Mr. Mallory about that."

I whirled around. "What?!?"

Jessica put her finger to her lips. "I wasn't supposed to know that," she said quietly. "But I heard it from Samantha, who heard it from Lee, who got it from Mike."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you sure it's true? I mean, I'm not important enough to talk to Mr. Mallory about."

Jessica shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you're finally getting that reporter position you wanted. I mean, you've been on the list of candidates for a while."

I nodded, feeling uneasy. "I guess that's true…"

"I mean, it _was_ unfair when they hired those two new reporters right out of college instead of you."

"What?" I asked, shocked. _She must be wrong,_ I thought. I had taken the job on the condition that they would switch my department as soon as an opening appeared. Unfortunately, that hadn't been part of the contract; it was simply a promise, which I had naively assumed would be kept.

Although I was young, I had a fair amount of experience in journalism. Arizona State had one of the best journalism programs in the country and I had been in the four-year combined Bachelor's and Master's degree program. I'd also done several internships during and after college.

I should have been able to find a job right away after I finished my schooling, but I was limited by the economic downturn and the fact that I was interested in paper journalism—I didn't want to work with a website or television station. I was also unwilling to look outside of Phoenix because at the time, Alice lived here and my mom still had a small house here, although she spent most of her time in Florida.

Jessica nodded conspiratorially and continued to fill me in about the reporters. "You didn't hear? Just last month, when those three old people retired…I can't remember their names. Anyway, they hired some newbies—right out of college, I heard. I don't think they even interned here or anything. One as a junior investigative reporter and the other as an assistant reporter to Lee."

"They didn't consider me?" I asked, crushed.

Jessica carefully peered around, searching for eavesdroppers, and then turned to me. "Tyler said he recommended you, so I don't know what happened. If you ask me, it was Lauren sticking her nose in other people's business." I almost laughed at that. It was like the pot calling the kettle black. Jessica's favorite activity was putting her nose where it didn't belong.

I was confused by Jessica's last statement though. "Why would Lauren care about what job I have?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Bella," she said patronizingly, "you went out with her _boyfriend_ for a month."

I frowned. "But I didn't even like him much. Besides, that was before Mike was her boyfriend."

Jessica smirked. "Yeah, but that means Lauren's basically getting your—and my—sloppy seconds. How do you think the newspaper owner's daughter feels about that? I bet you she talked to her father and he told them to give the job to someone else."

"So you really think I'm getting a reporter job today? Or am I just going to be disciplined?"

Jessica just shrugged. "I don't know, but you better tell me once you hear!" She waggled her fingers at me and left my cubicle.

I was just getting some files together when Jessica popped her head back in. "Oh, by the way, Bella, I suggest you do some major sucking up to Lauren. It might just save you some major trouble."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Trust me," she told me. "Lauren's daddy would do just about anything for her. If she asks him to do something to get back at you, he'll do it if she pleads enough."

I sighed. "I'll think about it, Jess."

"Okay. Come eat lunch with me later and tell me what went down!" she called as she headed back to her cubicle.

I sighed again. I could tell this was going to be a long day already. Now I had to go talk to Tyler not only about my extra 'vacation' day, but also about why I didn't get the new job I'd asked for. If I could stand to subject myself to it, I might also talk to Lauren—she was hanging around our office a lot since she started dating Mike. I snorted. I had a feeling Jessica was a whole lot better at sucking up to Lauren than I would be.

I walked down the hall to Tyler's office and was about to knock on the door when I heard voices coming from inside. I leaned closer to the door, trying to ascertain if I should interrupt or come back later. I froze as I heard Lauren's rather nasally voice coming from inside the office.

"—don't understand why you're so reluctant, Ty," she said, her tone flirtatious. _Since when does anyone call him 'Ty'?_ I thought.

"Lauren, I don't know why Bella wasn't here yesterday, but I can't cut the rest of her vacation days just because of that. It's ridiculous…it's probably not even _legal_. She's always been reliable. I'm sure there's an explanation."

"But Ty," Lauren pouted.

"I'm sorry, Laurie, but I can't do it. I'll give her a warning, like your father asked, but I can't take it any further." _Laurie?_ I thought._ Jeez, she's got all the men in the office wrapped around her finger!_

"Not even for me?"

There was a long pause.

"Ty, I really, really don't like her. She's been so _mean_ to me. She doesn't even like the position that daddy so generously gave her. She's not even grateful." _What the hell!? I'd never said a rude word about Lauren. I kept my thoughts to myself and was always courteous to her. How did that translate into being 'so mean?' And why on earth did my job require me to be grateful?_

"She wants to be a reporter, though. If your father had given her that position, I'm sure she'd be very grateful." _Yay Tyler! _I cheered, glad that he was defending me. I was actively eavesdropping now, but I wanted answers and it seemed like I was getting them.

"Oh, somehow I doubt she'll be getting that position, Ty. One more incident and I'll have her out of here."

My blood was boiling. _Damn it! Jessica was right. Lauren's insecurity was keeping me from getting a reporting job. Why on earth did I ever agree to go out with Mike?_

I kept listening. "Now, I really like you, Ty. Bella's on my bad side, but you sure aren't. In fact, I won't be bad unless you want me to be." _What on earth…? _I heard a strangled intake of air that I assumed was coming from Tyler.

"Now," she said, almost seductively, "I wanted to know if you'd maybe like to…come to dinner with me?"

"Sure, I'd….I'd love to hang out with you…and Mike," Tyler stuttered, his voice growing deeper.

"Oh, Mike won't be there. He's going to a game this evening. I meant…just you and me." Lauren's voice was all breathy. I backed away from the door, knowing I'd heard enough. I didn't know if Lauren's seduction would work or not, but I'd bet it would.

Lauren knew how to get her way. I had known that before, but it was becoming even more apparent now. I was surprised that I was half inclined to punch her. _Stupid, interfering bitch!_

_Whoa. What's with all the bad language? Calm down, Bella,_ I told myself. But I couldn't calm down. I'd just had two of the worst days of my life and now this. Knowing Lauren, this was only going to get worse. At the very least, I would never become a reporter at the _Tribune_. At most, I'd lose my job and possibly my reputation.

I walked past a group of gossiping employees on my way back to my cubicle. I wondered if they were whispering about me. _I'm so freaking tired of this place. _Tears sprang to my eyes as all the frustration of the past two years boiled over.

I looked down at my desk, seeing the stack of advertisements waiting for me to wade through, edit, and approve. _I'm better than this._

Alice's voice came to mind: _I just want you to be happy._

I sure as hell wasn't happy here.

The blood was still boiling in my veins as I stumbled my way back down to Tyler's office, in too much of a hurry to watch out for my air cast. I would have stomped if I'd had shoes on both feet.

I didn't even knock on Tyler's door, just banged it open. Tyler looked up from his desk, surprised and slightly flushed. Lauren wasn't there. She must have left soon after I did.

Tyler had a strange, masked look on his face once he saw me. "Miss Swan," he greeted me formally. "Why don't you sit down? We have some things we need to discuss."

I hesitated for a moment, and then sat. The anger and frustration and disappointment were bubbling away, but I wasn't sure what to do with them yet. I was still undecided about how I wanted this confrontation to go.

"You were not here yesterday. You did not phone or email or make us aware in any way of your plans. This meant that you missed an important meeting and weren't available when Mike needed your assistance. I'm giving you a severe warning, as a result. If this happens again, there will be serious repercussions…possibly even the loss of your job. Also, I will be taking you to speak with Mr. Mallory about your—"

I interrupted him, furious. "You can't even ask me if I'm okay?" I gestured to my leg. "Or inquire if there was a good reason for my absence? Because trust me, there was. This paper might even have gotten a good story out of it."

Tyler looked shocked. Before he could recover, I continued. "All I want to know is why I was refused a reporting job. I was promised one. It shouldn't be that hard a wish to grant, given my resume, background, and work ethic, yet two openings—two!—went to people fresh out of college."

Tyler's mouth opened and closed once before he spoke. "The committee did not feel you were qualified for the job. It made more sense to hire someone else. We did not—"

His words were the last straw. I had had enough. "That's bull shit and you know it. I'm leaving. I quit. I don't want to work at a newspaper where the biggest news is the daily dose of gossip and everyone is being manipulated by the boss's daughter. I'm handing in my two weeks notice. You'll have it on your desk within the hour." I swept out of the office before he could say another word…and promptly tripped over my cast, falling to the floor.

I closed my eyes in humiliation. _Great. A grand exit once again ruined by my lack of grace._

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and PMs! If you didn't get a reply last chapter, I do apologize. I replied to most of you, but my email got a little messed up and I lost track. But everyone will get a response this chapter (promise). ****Thank you so much for all your support and kindness, as well. I truly appreciate it. I'm starting to feel better and writing this story is helping too. Love and thanks go out to Babette12, who is an expert at keeping all these characters in character!**

**If this chapter brought a smile to your face (or even if it didn't), it would bring a smile to mine if you review!**


	14. Office Drama and Best Friends

**Office Drama and Best Friends (Bella's POV)**

The next two weeks were absolute hell. I bounced back and forth between berating myself for quitting in the first place and wishing I could just run (or trip, as would probably be the case) out of the building and never come back.

When my coworkers heard what I had said to Tyler (as usual, the latest gossip spread like wildfire), they avoided me like the plague. I came to the office in the morning, got my work done, and went home, doing my best to ignore the whispers and pointed looks that swirled around me.

I was almost glad that I was operating in a haze. My insomnia had persisted, which meant I went to work with huge circles under my eyes and went home with eyes that stung from exhaustion. When I was able to snatch a few hours of sleep, I had terrible nightmares about car and bus crashes and being lost in the wilderness. The scenes varied, but the faces—Edward, Angela, and others from the bus—didn't. Sometimes they were dead or injured; sometimes I was. Either way, I usually jerked awake from my nightmares at some ungodly hour in the morning, drenched in sweat and fear. I even woke up crying a couple times, which worried me more than anything else.

I kept expecting my dreams to calm down, but they didn't. I couldn't escape the horror and pain, even in sleep. I was becoming an emotional wreck. I alternated between feeling numb and nearly breaking down. I felt so vulnerable, but no one was there to take care of me. I had friends in the area, mostly from college, but the only people I truly wanted to see—Alice, Jasper, Jake, Charlie, Renee, Angela, and (if I was honest with myself) Edward lived far away from me. My friends in Phoenix were happy to get together and hang out, but they had their own lives and I didn't feel comfortable relying on them when something went wrong.

I had spoken to Alice and my parents a couple times after I returned home last week, but I hadn't mentioned that I quit my job. I didn't want to worry them even more.

Alice knew something was wrong. She kept calling me at work this past week, but I didn't pick up because I didn't know what to say. It was relatively easy to avoid talking to her because my old cell phone was still up near Mount Saint Helens, and I had only gotten my new one yesterday. I didn't have a land line and Alice was fairly busy during the day with her event planning, so she'd only managed to call me four times at work. If I'd had a cell phone on me, the number would have been exponentially higher.

I knew if I told her how bad the nightmares were, she would tell me to talk to a doctor or psychologist about them, but she didn't know I would be losing my health insurance soon. I would pay for my own insurance if I needed to, but I didn't want to deal with that if I would be getting another job.

That was yet another problem: getting a new job. I'd called many other publications in the area, but none were hiring. In fact, many had to lay off employees. I started expanding my search, looking into news stations, journals, editor positions—anything that was related to writing or journalism. Still, I found very little. I hadn't been looking for long, but I had already spent a fair amount of that time searching.

Eventually, I got one interview, but the employer flat out told me that it was unlikely that she would hire me and even if she did, it would be at least a few months until a position became available. Apparently the two positions that had opened at the _Tribune_ were extremely unusual in this economy. I cursed the Mallory father-daughter team once again for ruining my chances.

I started looking into working at a bookstore or a coffee shop. There I had a little more luck, but I couldn't sustain being a barista for too long. I was happy to do it temporarily, but I wouldn't make enough money to keep up with my bills, rent, and health insurance if I did it over the long term.

Plus, I wanted to _write_. Briefly, I fantasized about becoming an author, but I knew that was a whole lot more complicated than it sounded—and I needed a stable job to support me in the meantime.

I was just finishing up on my last day, feeling upset at my lack of progress in my job search, when I heard a light knocking on my desk. I looked up and saw Mike standing there, a worry line etched in his forehead. His blond hair was carefully gelled and he looked much more dressed up than before he started dating Lauren.

I looked at him, surprised. He'd been avoiding me for the past two weeks, just like the rest of the office. The only conversations I'd had were with Jessica, who wanted to get the "juicy details" about why I quit, and Tyler, who had told me stiffly that while he would miss my work ethic, he thought it was best that I was leaving.

"Hey," Mike said quietly. "Are you okay?" He put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I said stiffly, not looking at him as I shrugged him off.

He dropped his hand to his side and took a step back. "I just…" he paused, seeming at a loss for words. "I wanted you to know…I'm sorry. Lauren told me how she treated you. I think it's partly my fault, although I certainly didn't intend for it to happen."

I was surprised by his apology. I didn't think he was encouraging Lauren's attacks, but I didn't think he would apologize for them either.

He continued speaking. "I also wanted you to know that you shouldn't believe everything you hear about me. I went out with you, even though it was unfortunately only for a few weeks, and now I'm dating Lauren, but Jessica exaggerated what happened with her and Samantha. I flirted with them...maybe a little too much…because I was upset that you dumped me, but I didn't go out with them or take it any further than that," he told me seriously.

"That's fine, Mike. I should have known better than to believe the office gossip anyway," I told him. I honestly didn't care how many girlfriends he'd had, although I felt a little bad that he got stuck with Lauren. _Your girlfriend is psychotic,_ I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut.

He nodded, shuffling his feet. "I tried to convince her to back off, but it didn't really work. I wish you'd stay…I know we broke up and you probably don't like me much, but you're a good person to work with."

"You know I can't stay, Mike," I said patiently. "This isn't the job I want anyway…it's probably a good thing that Lauren gave me a little push."

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked, looking disappointed.

I sighed. "That's the crux of the problem. I'd love to get a job related to writing or editing, but there doesn't seem to be a single job like that in the greater Phoenix area."

He cleared his throat. "Did you look in Portland or Seattle?" he asked.

"No," I said slowly. "Why?"

He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "When I went to dinner with you that time, you talked about how much you missed your father and your friend Alice. You mentioned you liked visiting those cities. I just thought…" he trailed off. "Of course, I'd love it if you stayed around here and wanted to hang out sometime, but I thought you might look there."

_It wasn't a bad idea,_ I mused. If I left Phoenix, I would miss the sun and the desert, but I could adjust to the rain and the green. There was no one in Phoenix that I would miss much and that seemed like a good enough reason to consider leaving. Everyone I loved lived in Portland, Washington, or Florida, so what was the point, really, in staying here, if I couldn't even find a job?

I stood up, collecting everything from my desk, leaving my empty cubicle behind. "That's definitely something to think about," I told him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he told me eagerly as he followed me toward Tyler's office. _Oh no, don't tell me that puppy dog Mike is back,_ I thought, before turning to see that Jessica rushing over to us.

"Oh my gosh, Bella, I'm going to miss you so much!" she told me, pulling me into a hug. "Are you going to tell Tyler goodbye?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes," I told her. "I figure it's the right thing to do."

She nodded and said, "Mike and I will come with you!" _Ah, I see how it is_, I thought. _You want to stick your new crush in your old crush's face. I'm _so_ glad I'm done with all this drama!_

I reached Tyler's office and took a deep breath before I opened the door, prepared to say a last goodbye. Mike and Jessica were hovering behind me. We all stopped dead in our tracks when we saw what lay behind the door.

Tyler and Lauren were furiously making out. When Jessica made a strangled squeaking noise, they raised their heads, looking shocked and guilty.

"And with that, I'm going to leave now," I said quickly, before ducking out of the way as the hallway erupted in shouting and tears.

* * *

As I slowly made my way home, still hampered by my air cast, I contemplated Mike's idea. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. I didn't know if I was any more likely to find a job in Portland than in Phoenix, but at least I'd be near my friends. Plus, Alice had a lot of connections in Portland. She might be able to land me some interviews, if I asked. I hated to rely on her, but I would as a last resort.

My lease was up on my apartment at the end of February. It was the beginning of February now, which would give me enough time to find another apartment in Portland and move out, if I chose to go.

I took a deep breath and called Alice.

"Well, hello, best friend of mine!" she exclaimed.

"Hey Alice," I said surprised by her tone of voice. "Why so cheerful?"

"Because according to my caller ID, you got a new cell phone which means I can call you until you actually pick up, silly."

"Sorry," I said, grimacing. "I haven't felt like talking to anyone lately."

"But that's why you need to, Bella," Alice said. "I can't imagine what you're going through, but the more you sink into yourself, the harder it will be."

"You're probably right."

"Of course I am. I wish I was in Phoenix, Bella. I miss you. It just…it sucks that you're hurting and I can't even be there for you."

I made my decision right then, as my eyes filled with tears. I felt unbearably lonely as I spoke to Alice, but I was tired of sticking things out. Why should I stay in Phoenix when the people who loved me and made me happy weren't here? "I miss you too, Alice…" I paused, deciding to just bite the bullet and tell her. "…which is why I've decided to move to Portland."

There was a long silence. I waited anxiously for Alice's response. I was expecting a squeal of excitement, so I was surprised when I heard her say quietly, "Bella, honey, are you sure you're all right? You don't know seem to know what you're saying."

I rolled my eyes at the phone. "I know exactly what I'm saying. I'm moving to Portland."

"But what about your job? Your apartment?"

"I quit my job—my last day was today—and my apartment lease is up in a month."

"Bella! You quit your _job_? _Why_?"

"Hey!" I said, annoyed by the accusatory tone in her voice. "You've been gunning for me to quit for months."

"Yeah…but Bella, I never thought you'd actually do it. It's not like you to do something so rash and spontaneous. I assumed you'd stick it out until you got that reporting job there."

"Well, that's actually one reason why I quit." I went on to explain the situation to Alice. She was outraged with Lauren and Tyler—even more than I had been. By the time I finished, Alice had changed her tune.

"You're right…that job _was_ toxic for you, Bella. I mean, you didn't have any close friends at work and you hated the environment and you don't even _like_ advertising. I could see how unhappy you were…I just didn't think you'd see it too. You don't often put your own happiness first."

I was silent. She'd hit the nail on the head, as always. That was what I loved (and sometimes hated) about Alice—she tended to understand me better than I understood myself.

"Don't be mad," Alice pleaded, interpreting my silence as anger. "I think you made the right choice. Sometimes you have to put happiness ahead of your savings."

Alice was quiet for a moment, letting the truth of that statement sink in, and then she said excitedly, "So you're really planning to move to Portland?"

I laughed. "Yeah…I think I am."

"Oh, Bella! That's awesome! We'll be able to hang out all the time! Oh! Jasper will be so excited! You have no idea how much I've missed you…and now you'll be here! And I can help you look for a job and an apartment! And we can decorate it together! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

I couldn't help grinning as Alice let out all her excitement, but I frowned at her next words:

"So when do you want me to fly down there?"

"What?" I asked. "Alice, I'm moving up there, not the other way around."

"Yeah, but you'll need help packing up, silly, especially with that sprained ankle of yours. I'm free this weekend. Should I come on Saturday?"

"Alice, honestly, I can handle it myself. You don't need to come help me. I don't have that much stuff."

Alice scoffed. "I'm not letting you do this on your own. You'll just hurt yourself again. Besides, you'll need me to drive the U-Haul. We can't take your truck because it sure won't make it that far and you need something bigger to fit your furniture in anyway."

"I guess…I know I can't get my truck to Portland. Long-distance road trips are not its strong suit. But I can deal with the U-Haul."

"Bella," Alice explained patiently. "You need to get your stuff to Portland and you can't drive right now." The last time I'd talked to her I'd accidently let slip that I'd been taking a taxi to work because I didn't feel safe driving. Although I doubted I'd feel safe with Alice behind the wheel. "I'd be happy to come down and help. It'll be fun!" Alice added.

"Thanks, Alice, but I'm not planning to come up for a couple weeks, at least not until I find an apartment, so maybe I will be able to drive by then."

"Why are you staying in Phoenix for a couple weeks?" Alice asked curiously. "You're done with your job—why not come up right away?"

"I have to find somewhere to live first, silly," I teased.

"Oh! But you can stay with me and Jasper until you find your own apartment. I thought that was obvious."

"I can't do that! I'll feel like I'm intruding."

I could practically hear Alice rolling her eyes over the phone. "Bella, we're _best friends_. This is what we do. Besides, senior year, Jasper practically lived at our place, so it's a fair trade."

I was about to refuse, but Alice wasn't done. "Besides, you'll find an apartment so much faster if you're actually here. You know you can't tell anything from pictures online. And if you're up here, you can start looking for a job. I've got friends in high places—I'm sure I could line up some interviews for you. Come on, Bella, _please_?"

I gave in. A few months ago, I wouldn't have, but the past few weeks had taught me that I can't get through everything by myself, as hard as I might try. So I took a deep breath and said, "Okay, Alice. Let's do it."

* * *

Moving day with Alice was surprisingly fun. We talked and laughed as we packed up my things, giggling at old pictures of us from college and telling story after story as we waded through my books and mementos. We both went into hysterics as I recounted Lauren's antics and I was finally able to see the humor in that situation. It made me even happier that I was moving to Phoenix. I'd missed our 'girl time,' as Alice called it, more than I'd realized.

We were a little worried about how we were going to get the boxes downstairs—never mind the furniture. I was clumsy enough, but with a cast carrying anything heavy would be lethal. Alice, determined though she was, was too small to carry the heavier items without bowling over.

"I guess we're going to need to pay for some help after all," I said after I finally managed to push a big box out into the hallway.

I bit my nails in thought. I watched as my neighbor and two of his buddies started going towards the door to his apartment.

"Or not," I heard Alice say from behind me. She raised her voice and called out, "Oh boys! Could you give us a hand over here?"

My neighbor, Steve, looked at Alice and me and immediately came over. "Sure, what do you need help with?"

"I'm moving to Portland," I told him. "We need some help getting stuff downstairs into the U-Haul outside."

"You're moving? Damn, I hope my next neighbor is as nice about my football parties as you were."

I laughed. Steve loved football, he had parties at his place at least once a week when it was football season. I didn't mind at all—it reminded me of Charlie, Billy, and the La Push boys. It was a taste of home. Sometimes I even came over to watch a quarter or two.

"So what do we get in return?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Our thanks and the satisfaction of having helped your neighbor?" Alice asked hopefully.

I just smirked. I knew exactly what he wanted in exchange: my truck. He had a strange obsession with it. It was the only bone he had to pick with me; he didn't think I took good enough care of it. He knew the truck well enough that it wouldn't make it to Portland—at least not before breaking down a few times. I'd actually already left the keys, registration papers, and a note in his mailbox, but he didn't know that, so I decided to negotiate a bit.

"You pay the cost of the U-Haul and put everything in the U-Haul and you get my truck," I told him. It was a good deal. The truck was old, but it still had a lot of life left. Also, I had a feeling that I could have told him to pay me thirty grand for it and he wouldn't have batted an eyelash.

He let out a whoop and punched me in the shoulder. "Bella, you're the best! Come on, guys," he told his friends, picking up the first box. They gamely entered my apartment and grabbed some more boxes before heading downstairs.

"Well, that was easy," Alice said. "I'll never understand why you or Steve like that truck, but it got us what we wanted."

I just smiled. "Don't bash the truck. It's special. I think Steve would marry it if he could."

A few hours later, after thanking the guys and telling Steve to check his mailbox, I returned my keys to the landlord and we were on our way. Alice, who was nervous about driving a truck for the first time, albeit a very small one, stayed in the right-hand lane of the highway.

I was grateful that she had given up her usual break-neck speeds for today because otherwise I might well have had a panic attack. As it was, I was still nervous and nauseous, but that was the way I had felt every time I set foot in a vehicle now. Alice was kind enough to distract me with her chatter.

It took us two days to reach Portland. We stayed over one night at a nice motel somewhere in California and got to Alice's apartment late the following day. Luckily, Jasper was home from work already, so he helped us move my stuff out of the U-Haul and into a storage room that Alice had rented for me in the basement of their apartment building.

"I'll take the U-Haul back tomorrow," Alice told me.

"Don't be silly, Alice. You've done enough already. I can drive it." I swallowed hard. The thought of driving made me incredibly nervous, but I couldn't keep putting Alice out of her way like this.

Alice just looked at me hard. "Stop it, Bella. I saw how nervous just being in the passenger's seat made you. It's not safe for you to drive. Can you please just accept my help? You're my best friend. Do you realize how much I love doing stuff for you? I'm just so glad I get to see you everyday. I _want_ to help you…to be here for you…but you have to let me."

She'd been telling me this for the past two weeks, but this was the first time I started to believe her. I wasn't just a bother to her. I'd gotten so used to living by myself and taking care of myself that I'd forgotten how the give-and-take of a friendship worked. I knew if Alice needed anything, I would gladly help, so of course she felt the same way. My face relaxed into a smile as I pulled her into a hug.

"Hey! Don't leave me out!" Jasper protested in his southern drawl. We'd been so busy unloading that I hadn't really had a chance to say hi to him. I hadn't seen him in nearly a year, since he was away when I'd shown up at their apartment two weeks ago.

I pulled back from Alice and wrapped my arms around Jasper. "It's good to see you, Jazz," my voice was muffled in his shirt. I looked up at him and he grinned, pleased that I was using his old nickname.

"It's good to see you, darlin'. Alice has been sayin' that you're having a rough time."

I just nodded. I was afraid I'd fall apart if I tried to speak. Jasper just had such a comforting presence. With two of my best friends right there, I felt calmer and more secure than I had in weeks.

I stepped back to examine him. He hadn't changed much over the years; he was as tall and blue-eyed as ever. His blond hair was a little longer since I last saw him, but otherwise he looked about the same as he had in college.

Jasper and I had met at the beginning of our senior year, when we were both in the same history class. We'd partnered up for a writing project and found we worked well as a team. He was quite the history buff, so he did the research while I wrote up the paper.

I soon found I'd made a wonderful friend. I liked how easy-going he was, while at the same time being incredibly attuned to his surroundings. He treated me like a little sister, which I loved. I didn't have any siblings, but he made quite a good substitute brother, with the added bonus being that we didn't fight like siblings.

By October, we'd started hanging out outside of class—just the two of us. I wanted my two best friends to meet, but I was afraid they would dislike each other. They were so different—Alice was as intense as they came and Jasper was so mellow. Finally, I bit the bullet and brought Jasper over to our apartment and introduced him to Alice, hoping that they would at least tolerate each other.

I was surprised and pleased when Jasper's mouth fell open when he met her and Alice looked shell-shocked. I thought maybe they liked each other, but the afternoon that followed made me think I must be wrong.

It was one of the most awkward experiences of my life. I couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with my friends. They kept sneaking glances at each other and looking guilty. Alice curled up on the couch as we watched a movie, more quiet than I'd ever seen her. Jasper kept twitching and acting all jittery. I tried to make conversation, but things were awkward and strained—both of them seemed preoccupied. When Jasper said goodbye and headed home, he and Alice just looked at each other for a long moment before muttering stiff 'goodbyes.'

After Jasper left, I rounded on Alice, "Did you really hate him that much?" I had asked, irritated. "I was hoping you two would at least get along."

"Why?" Alice had asked quietly.

I threw up my hands. "Because I'm _friends_ with him. I've never become such good friends with someone so fast, except for you. He's not a jerk and he's not shallow. It's refreshing to be around a guy who doesn't have an agenda, who is happy being friends with me. I just thought…maybe the three of us could hang out, you know?"

Alice nodded slowly. "Yeah…but are you sure you want me around?"

I looked at her, frowning. "Why wouldn't I want you around? You're my best friend!"

"Yeah…but…if you're dating him, it might get a little awkward."

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Alice, we're not dating," I said, rolling my eyes. "Honestly, does every interaction with a guy have to be a romantic encounter? We're just friends."

She looked at me carefully. "And you don't want it to be…more than that?"

I made a face. "Is that what you're getting at? No way. It would be like…kissing a cousin or something. Just…ew. No."

Alice's face relaxed and I finally caught on. "Do _you_ like him?" I asked pointedly.

Alice blushed. That was all the evidence I needed. Alice never blushed.

I had a similar conversation with Jasper at our favorite coffee shop later that week. We were sitting in strained silence, which was unusual for us.

Finally, I blurted out, "So what did you think of Alice?"

He looked nervously at me before answering. "She seemed…nice, I guess."

"You didn't like her?" I asked, disappointed.

"No!" he said quickly. "I really did. She's…amazin'." His cheeks turned pink. _Caught you red-handed, Jasper,_ I thought giddily. _You totally like her._

I smirked. "So ask her out," I told him, feeling like quite the accomplished matchmaker.

Jasper frowned at me. "That won't…bother you?" he asked slowly.

_Oh, goodness, not him too,_ I thought. "Jasper, I hope this doesn't offend you, but I really, really don't think of you that way," I told him. "You're usually so intuitive—I didn't think you'd even consider it," I added.

His face stretched into a grin. "Yeah—but I've been wrong before. I didn't want to hurt you. You really don't like me?" he asked.

"Yes, really. I like you in an entirely platonic way. You're like…a brother or something."

He swept me up into a hug, clearly relieved. "That sure is good because I feel the same way about you," he told me. "I just didn't want to mess up our friendship."

I reached up and patted him patronizingly on the head. "Don't worry about that. The only way you'll mess it up is if you mess things up with Alice."

"I'll do my best not to. You know, we're going to have to find you a man that you like as more than a friend one of these days, Bella," Jasper had told me.

Now, as I remembered what he had said, a pair of green eyes jumped to my mind. _I think I may have found him, _I thought, _even if he's unattainable._ _But… _I thought speculatively, _Edward isn't as unattainable as he was. The miles that separated us have disappeared now. _I smiled slightly as I followed Alice and Jasper up to their apartment. Maybe there was a chance I'd see him again after all.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Please review! Every time I have trouble writing, I read your reviews and I gain inspiration from them.


	15. Arguments and Hospital Visits

**Thank you all so very much. This story has reached 300 reviews and I'm so grateful! I know it's just a number, but considering I thought I'd be lucky if anyone enjoyed this story, I'm quite amazed. Thanks to everyone who reads this story, especially everyone who has taken the time to review or PM me. Every last one of you is amazing. Thanks for the encouragement, praise, constructive criticism, questions, theories, ideas, and kind thoughts that you've sent my way. I've learned so much from writing this story and I've met some pretty amazing people along the way. I love hearing from you all, so any time you want to chat, drop me a review or PM.**

**I'm sending out millions of thanks to my beta, Babette12, who helps keep this story straight and gives me wonderful advice and encouragement. She's the reason my head is still attached. Every time I'm at my whit's end, she says, "Why don't you try this?" and things fall into place again.**

**Also, I know this is a couple days later than I promised and I'm so very sorry. I ran into some issues with the story and my life, but I got this out to you as fast as I could. I had to write most of chapter 16 (which is ridiculously long) in order to post this because Bella and Edward needed to be on the same page. Just know that I have been doing lots of writing and research and you won't be waiting too long for chapter 16.**** Enjoy!**

**Arguments and Hospital Visits (Bella's POV)**

Tempers were wearing thin. "Alice, for the last time, I'm _fine_!" I snapped.

"Bella, you need to go to the doctor! I'll pay the damn doctor's bill myself but I refuse to watch you in pain any more. This is getting ridiculous!" Alice was yelling.

"I don't have a damn job right now and there is no way you're footing the bill when you're already letting me stay with you! I can deal with the pain on my own so just be quiet, okay? I just want some peace! I'm so tired of listening to you badger me. I'm not a child!" It was crazy. This was one of the worst fights we'd ever had and I didn't even know why I was arguing.

"Well you sure are acting like it! And don't you _dare_ tell me to shut up. I'm looking after you. No one else does—not even you! That stupid ankle should be getting better by now but it's only getting worse!"

I gritted my teeth. "Alice, it's my damn ankle, not yours. I can look after myself. I'm perfectly fine, all right? Just leave me alone for _once_!" Some part of me knew Alice was right, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. I felt like all reasoning had deserted me.

She glared at me, "Fine. I'll leave you be. I'm dead tired of all your stupid problems anyway." The sincerity of her words made me feel like she'd slapped me.

"I'm sorry I forced you to deal with all my problems," I said, my voice breaking as my anger suddenly turned into tears. I was so upset and exhausted that I couldn't control my emotions. "It's not m-my fault I don't have a damn job or a home. If you don't w-want me here any more, just tell me to leave and I'll be out the d-door and back in Phoenix by the end of the day. I thought could just move forward here, but I haven't. I don't know what to do anymore."

Great, now I was bawling and acting like a spoiled child to boot. Alice watched me, her anger turning to concern. She moved from where she had been standing by the living room doorway over to the couch where I was lying with my ankle propped up. She knelt down beside me and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You _know_ I don't want you to leave. You have to know that." I nodded softly into her shirt as she stroked my hair and continued, "But Bella, _you're not okay_. You're nowhere _near_ okay. You're an absolute mess and the accident was nearly four weeks ago," she said frankly. "I mean, it isn't enough that you're unemployed and physically injured, but you're mentally scarred as well."

She pulled back from me and looked me square in the face. "I think it's time to admit it, Bella. You can keep saying 'I'm fine' for as long as you like but that's not going to make anything better."

I nodded as I took deep breaths, calming myself as Alice continued, "I think at this point you're so exhausted and debilitated by this bus crash that you can't even think straight."

"I'm s-sorry Alice," I said, my voice cracking. "I didn't mean to yell at you but I couldn't help it. I can't sleep and I'm so scared and…I don't know what to do anymore," I admitted.

Alice smiled gently. "That's all right. I shouldn't have yelled at you—but I had to get you to _see_, Bella. You're not okay and you need to admit that so we can get you some help." I nodded mutely. "So will you listen to me and do what I ask? I promise it will make you feel better."

I inhaled shakily and nodded again. "Okay."

Alice patted me on my head. "Good girl. Now, first I'm going to make you an appointment to go see someone about your ankle. I'll try and see if I can make it at OHSU so Jasper can drive you in when he goes to work."

I started to speak, but Alice held up a finger. "No protests," she told me.

I let out a watery laugh. "I wasn't going to protest…I was just going to say 'thank you,'" I told her.

"Ah ha!" Alice exclaimed. "Progress! I knew my level-headed friend was in there somewhere."

I rolled my eyes at her as she giggled. Her expression turned more serious as she told me, "When Jazz gets home tonight after his historical society meeting, we're all going to sit down and talk about who you should go see about the nightmares and everything."

"But my health insurance—"

She put her hand over my mouth. "We'll figure it out. I think we should start looking into you paying for your own if we don't find you a job in a week or two. How about we wait until after your interviews next week and then decide?"

I nodded. "That sounds uncharacteristically reasonable of you, Alice."

She grinned at me. "I try. I think you should at least sit down with Jasper for a bit and talk through the nightmares though."

"Have I been keeping you awake?" I asked, concerned.

Alice just shrugged. "Not really. I've just heard you a few times when I'm up late." I wasn't sure she was telling the whole truth, but I didn't want to think about the nightmares, so I let her change the topic.

* * *

Two days later, Jasper was driving me into the hospital. My appointment was at eleven o'clock and we'd be getting there at nine since Jasper had to work. I would have a while to wait, but I told Jasper I didn't mind hanging out in the food court. I'd brought my laptop so that I could update my resume and keep busy.

As Jasper drove, I tried not to think about how I was going to be in the same hospital where Edward worked. My chances of seeing him were slim, but there was a small possibility…and that possibility made my stomach twist with excitement and nerves. That possibility, loath as I was to admit it, was also the reason I had let Alice pick out my outfit and do my hair.

As soon as we got inside, Jasper produced a wheel chair for me. I just looked at him. "There's no way you're getting me to ride in that."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'll be faster than watchin' you walk ever so slowly in that good for nothing cast of yours. Hop in."

I just scowled, so Jasper explained, "Bella, I've got to get to my office for an appointment, but I'm not leavin' you here, so git in."

I glared at him and flounced my way into the wheelchair, sitting down with a huff, although I contain my giggles as Jasper wheeled me far too quickly down several long hallways until we finally reached the food court. It wasn't too busy at this time, so Jasper wheeled me over to a free table and made sure I had everything I needed before waving goodbye. As soon as he was gone from my sights, I stood up and switched to sitting in a normal chair, then childishly pushed the wheelchair as hard as I could away from my table.

Apparently, I should have looked at where the wheelchair was heading because as soon as I turned my back on it, I heard a quiet exclamation.

I turned around and saw an older lady looking down at the wheelchair, which had hit the side of her chair. "I'm so sorry," I called. "I didn't see you there. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking…" I trailed off as I realized who the woman was. She'd appeared in my nightmares more than once, although there was nothing scary about her. My face broke into a smile. "Didyme?" I asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at me carefully. "Bella?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"What are you doing here?" we both exclaimed. We both rose from our tables, ready to hurry over to each other, but Didyme moved much faster than I did. Soon, I was wrapped in a warm and comforting hug.

"Thank you," Didyme whispered, as she pulled back slightly, tears in her eyes.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For saving our lives, of course. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it's true. You are so very brave, Bella. The media hasn't picked up on you, at least not by name, but we know what happened."

"Do you?" I asked.

"Well, not exactly. I know you found someone or called for help somehow, but not much more than that." She paused, before saying brightly, "But I'm incredibly curious about your side of the story …care to tell me?"

I laughed at her inquisitiveness and said, "Sure," although a twinge of unease ran through me. I hadn't spoken of that day since I told Alice nearly a month ago.

She stepped back from me. "Just let me grab my stuff." She quickly went to grab her bag and a laptop that she had open on her table before settling into a seat beside me.

"I want the whole story," she told me. "From the time you started climbing up that hill right up to today."

I took a deep breath and started into my tale. Didyme was quite the avid listener. She only interrupted when I glossed over something and when I told her about the skateboard. "I can't believe Marcus gave you that thing," she said, laughing. "It's probably cursed." She winced at my injuries and laughed at the antics of my old co-workers and Alice. The only parts I left out were the nightmares and the exact contents of the note I left for Edward. When I finished, she let out a breath.

"Whew. That's quite a story. You've had quite the life-changing month, honey," she told me. "I do know one thing that might make this all a little easier. The bus company is paying all our hospital bills—they don't want to be sued. So you should just give them a call and they'll take care of paying for any doctors you need to see because of that leg."

I sighed in relief. I probably should have realized the company would take care of my hospital bills sooner. "Thank you, Didyme. That's definitely good to know. I'll call them as soon as I get home."

The panic that seemed to sit quietly in my chest had risen with all this discussion about my part in the rescue, so I decided to get the conversation off of me. "How about you? What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

Didyme nodded and patted my hand. "Everything is fine, sweetheart. All six of us were rescued, although Caius put up quite a fuss about being airlifted. I'm here today because of him, actually. When they checked him out at the hospital, they found that he was experiencing some heart irregularities. They're worried about some of his arteries too, so he's in a follow-up appointment with a cardiologist right now. I was the only one who could take him today, but I told him I would wait down here because I got tired of his whining. He's a sweet soul, but he sure complains up a storm."

I laughed. That sounded like the Caius I knew. "I'm glad you're all okay," I told her, as more questions bubbled to my lips. "So how is everyone else? I've read a bit about how people are doing on the news, but in the articles I saw, there weren't too many details." I forced myself not to speak the question I longed to have answered: _How is Edward?_

"Everyone else is fine. Felix and Chelsea have got a lot of recovery time ahead of them and a few of the others had some injuries, but except for the three we lost at the beginning, nobody's sustained any permanent damage." She paused and then looked at me curiously. "You haven't spoken to anyone else since the crash?"

I shook my head. "No…I've read a few news articles, but that's it. Why?"

"I know you've been busy, so of course it's understandable," she hastened to assure me. "I just thought you might have spoken to Angela. She told me you were friends from high school and I thought you might have called to check on each other."

I frowned. "I've been rather unreachable for the past few weeks and I haven't had time to contact her," I explained.

That was an excuse, but it wasn't the whole reason. I hadn't even tried to reach Angela, although I knew I should have, especially once I moved to Portland. I'd been actively avoiding anything that was associated with the accident because it seemed to trigger my nightmares. But this meeting with Didyme had been strangely soothing, not upsetting as I had anticipated. This was partly because of her nature, but it was also nice to be able to talk to someone who understood exactly what I had been through.

"I'll try and reach her," I told Didyme. "I was a little reluctant to talk to her because the crash was just so difficult, but I'll definitely look her up when I get home."

She smiled. "You should call Edward, too," she told me. "I think Marcus has his number, if you like."

My heart skipped a beat. "Why?" I asked carefully, wondering why she suggested this.

She just kept on smiling. "He's been looking for you," she told me gently.

"What?" I asked, as my heart leaped in my chest and a small smile spread over my face. "Have you talked to him?"

She shook her head. "Not since we were all discharged from the hospital the day after the accident, but he was on the news recently."

I looked at her inquisitively. "He did an interview a couple days ago," she told me, sounding almost giddy.

I blushed again. "He mentioned me in his interview?" I asked carefully. _But I asked him not to in my note,_ I thought. I was surprised that he hadn't listened to my request.

It had been a month since the accident and I was amazed the media hadn't caught up with me until now. I knew that my words of warning to Tim and Edward were probably the only reason my involvement hadn't gotten out yet. I'd read a couple news articles that mentioned that an "unnamed source" had revealed that one of the survivors had gone to get help, but my name wasn't mentioned.

I wasn't too surprised that I had missed Edward's interview or many of the other news articles. For one thing, I wasn't actively seeking information about the bus crash because it was hard to think about it. I also had a hard time getting access to the news while I lived at Alice's. Alice hated meteorologists, so she refused to watch the news or even buy a newspaper for fear of even seeing a weather report. Alice had an uncanny ability to predict the weather, but she said listening or reading the reports messed with her intuition. She'd had one too many weddings rained on because she trusted a weatherman over her gut, so she'd banned it from her apartment.

I brought myself back to the present as Didyme nodded. "Yes, Edward mentioned you. Not by name, of course. He told all of us that you had sent a note and asked that you not be mentioned to the press, so we were to keep quiet about you. He looked quite threatening when Demetri said he thought you should get recognition. Although it was Caius, strangely enough, who told Demetri off. Edward showed us part of the note where you said that you didn't want the press bothering you. Caius said we owed you silence for saving our lives. For the most part, it seems, everyone kept their word."

She shook her head then and laughed. "I think Edward got a little desperate when he didn't hear from you though. I suspect he's been trying to find you, but couldn't, which isn't surprising with all the moving around you've been doing. Also, the press has been bugging him up a storm, since they think he's the hero of this whole fiasco, so he may have just given in to an interview. They've been bugging Aro too, of course, but he loves the attention."

"But Edward _is_ a hero," I told her. "He's the one who kept Felix and Chelsea alive…and he's the one who told us to hang on as we were going off the road." I swallowed hard. I hated talking about that part. I knew I'd never go on a rollercoaster again.

Didyme nodded. "That's true, but you're just as much of one, if not more. Edward kept us alive, but you're the one that got help. If you hadn't been so brave, Felix and Chelsea, at the very least, would have been dead anyway."

I just shook my head, uncomfortable with the admiration I saw in her eyes. I changed the subject, remembering something that had caught my attention. "Why have the press been bugging Aro? I remember they mentioned him in a few articles that I read, but I never found out why."

Didyme looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. She shifted in her chair. "Aro's…a big deal along the west coast, in Portland especially, since he lives here. He is—well, we—all six of us are…very well off. He owns a company called Volturi Enterprises that owns a lot of property in various cities along the west coast—Portland, Seattle, San Francisco. The business gets more complicated than that, but that's basically what you need to know. He's not famous, exactly, since he's a behind the scenes man, but everyone in business in Portland knows who he is. He loves it when the press picks up a story on him though. He eats up the attention. I think the only reason he hasn't mentioned you in his interviews yet is that he wants to make it sounds like _he's_ the hero." She shook her head at her brother's foolishness.

I nodded. The next question that popped into my head seemed rather silly, but I had to ask. "So why were you taking the bus? Wouldn't…I don't know…a private jet be more your style?"

Didyme laughed. "Aro's very whimsical. He thought a bus ride to and from Seattle would be more interesting. Marcus encouraged him because he doesn't like all the pomp and circumstance that is associated with his position—neither do I. Caius quite likes it though. That's partly why he was being so ornery after the crash. Caius doesn't approve of buses and he's not exactly used to roughing it."

I laughed and we sat in silence for a few moments. I was thinking about how I could reach Edward. _Should I just go ask for him at the front desk? Should I call him? But wouldn't that be awkward?_

Didyme interrupted my anxious thoughts. "So do you want to see it?" she asked eagerly.

"See what, exactly?"

"The interview where Edward talks about how he's looking for you! It's online! I was about to watch it again when your wheelchair hit me."

"Okay," I tried to say nonchalantly, but inside I felt like squealing. My stomach twisted into knots. On second thought, I felt more like throwing up.

She opened her laptop and hit a few keys before turning the screen my way.

"And now our very own Rosalie Hale has a very special interview with Edward Cullen, the hero of the crash," an announcer was saying.

A gorgeous blond-haired woman in a red blouse appeared on screen. She was sitting in a chair, clearly preparing to interview someone. The camera panned the room and there, sitting in a chair across from the woman, looking as beautiful as ever, was Edward.

My heart stopped.

While my mind was still reeling, Didyme pulled the computer back toward her, "He just tells her what we already know at the beginning," she told me. "I don't think you need to relive the crash again today—I already made you do it once. Let me fast forward to the good part."

As she waited for her laptop to finish loading the video, I wondered if the interviewer was Edward's brother's girlfriend. Edward had mentioned that Emmett was going out with a female reporter named Rosalie. It wasn't that common a name and her occupation fit, so I figured it probably was. Perhaps that was why he had agreed to do the interview. Edward had mentioned that they got along well.

"Okay! Here it is!" Didyme was almost more excited than I was.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about the bus crash?" Rosalie asked in a lovely sounding voice.

The camera focused in on Edward. "Yes," Edward told Rosalie, before turning to look directly at the camera. His green eyes burned with sincerity. "There was a young woman on the bus who was incredibly brave—far braver than I. Without her, at least two of our number would not be alive. She kept me sane and level-headed when I felt like everything was falling apart. She was the real hero of this tragedy. I only did what I was trained to do, but she was so brave that she volunteered to do something that she had never done before. The only reason you haven't heard of her because she didn't want to be in the spotlight. I hope everyone will respect her wishes and keep it that way." I felt myself blush red as I listened intently to his velvet voice.

"In the aftermath of the crash, I…lost track of her. I know she's all right, but I would like to see or hear it again for myself. I'm just asking that if she or someone who knows her is watching this, they contact me. Please. I'm not that hard to find, as the press can certainly attest to. I'm so worried about her and I won't be able to stop worrying until I see her again." The pleading look that he sent the camera during the last few sentences made me want to reach through the screen and touch his cheek.

I was lost in joy—_he wanted to see me again!_—and nerves—_but what would I _say_ to him?_—as Rosalie said, "If you are this special woman, I urge you to come forward. That concludes our interview with Doctor Edward Cullen. Thank you, Edward."

The video clip ended and I finally looked up at Didyme. She let out a little squeal as a smile spread across my face. "So, will you see him? Please? He works here," she told me. "He shouldn't be _too_ hard to find."

"I know. I'll go see him," I said, determined. I felt…_excited_. I'd been so scared that Edward didn't like me that I hadn't really thought about if he did. I hadn't considered that maybe, just maybe, he might be missing me as much as I missed him. I still thought he could do better, but if he wanted to see me, I certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. I would have to see if he was working today and find him after my appointment. For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to hope—really _hope_—that everything was going to work out. That I would get to see him again.

Didyme glanced at her watch. "Oh, goodness, Caius is probably done by now and terrorizing some poor doctor. I better go get him."

I looked at the time too and realized I was going to be late for my appointment if I didn't leave now.

Didyme gestured for me to pull out my phone. She took it and quickly began pressing numbers. I was impressed by her speed with modern technology. Charlie rarely used a computer and although he had a cell phone, he only knew how to dial and answer. Didyme, on the other hand, was whizzing along as well as any teenager.

"Here," she said, less than a minute later. "My phone number is in there. If you can't find Edward, just give me a call and I'll get his phone number from Marcus. Also, I don't know how your appointment will go, but I'll be back here with Caius in a week at the same time if you want to talk or just need something to do."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Don't chicken out," she told me fiercely. "He wants to see you. Just keep telling yourself that. You two are meant to be. I knew that from the second I saw you."

I smiled nervously at her. We began walking companionably towards the front desk and the elevators. Didyme walked slowly so that I could keep up in my cast. As we drew closer to the corner, I heard a familiar voice.

"That's Caius," Didyme said, surprised. "I guess he made his way down here after all."

"You still haven't found anything?" He was saying. "…yeah, well, keep working on it. There must be information on them somewhere…right…well, I'll pay you double if you can just get me enough information to take the attention off of him."

"Caius!" Didyme exclaimed as we rounded the corner

Caius jumped and spun around. His expression was irritated as he looked at Didyme, but it turned to one of extreme surprise and calculation as he looked at me.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, quickly snapping his phone shut. "How are you?" I was surprised that he seemed so friendly.

"I'm fine, Caius, how are you?"

"Fine, fine. Do you have time for a chat? I'd like to thank you properly." He was being so nice.

"No, I'm sorry—actually, I've got to run. I'm going to be late for my appointment."

"Well, could I get your number at least?"

Didyme interrupted. "Let Bella go, Caius. I gave her my number and I can let you know how she's doing." She turned to me, "Go on, Bella!" She waved one last time and said, "Don't forget to call me and let me know how it goes!" before she hurried a very disgruntled looking Caius away.

I went to my appointment in a haze. The doctor asked a couple times if I was okay, but I simply nodded. I was too busy considering all that had happened today.

She explained that I had a very severe sprain with several torn ligaments. She gave me a new air cast, which she said would be a better fit and then told me to remove the cast each evening and do some exercises with my ankle. I was told to come back in a week. She said if it didn't get better, there was a possibility that I would need surgery, or at least physical therapy.

When she asked how I had sprained my ankle, I simply told her I had been trying to skateboard, which made her smile. I also mentioned that I had been traveling around when I had injured it and then moved two weeks later. She explained that the added stress and excessive use of my ankle had probably made it worse. She told me I needed to be extra careful and keep weight off it as much as possible. She put me in a wheel chair and called an attendant to wheel me down to the front entrance.

I was trying to figure out how I was going to be able to see Edward if I was stuck in this damn chair. I'd almost given up, when Didyme's words rang in my ears: _don't chicken out_. I squared my shoulders. I wasn't going to this time.

I bravely turned to the girl who was wheeling me downstairs. Her name tag said "Tia" on it. "Do you know a resident…named Edward Cullen?" I asked her hesitantly.

Her face, which had been open and friendly, became guarded. "I know who he is," she said slowly.

"Is there any chance that you could take me to him? Or at least let me know where he is and if he has a few minutes to speak to me?"

"No," she said harshly. "There isn't."

I looked at her, surprised. "Why not?"

She rolled her eyes. "Edward Cullen is a busy man. He doesn't need press or curious strangers bothering him all day. He's working."

I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off. "I'm not stupid, you know," she told me. "Everyone wants to talk to him…the number of people who have asked me about him is ridiculous."

I realized she was trying to protect him. There had probably been many unwanted press wandering around the hospital trying to find a story. As I'd seen from the news articles I had looked up in the last week, the bus crash had become quite a media sensation—and Edward was the hero of the tale, so of course everyone wanted to hear his story.

Tia probably thought I wanted to get his autograph. I was actually quite pleased that the hospital was so protective of Edward—I didn't want him being bothered constantly, especially since I hadn't exactly owned up to my share of the fame.

"But I know him," I told her. "He's a…friend of mine."

She snorted. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before. Reporters have been trying that all week."

"What if I prove it?" I asked her.

She raised her eyebrows. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"Do you know anything about Edward that strangers wouldn't know?"

She shook her head. "All I know about him are facts that other people could find out." She paused. "I know his brother pretty well, though."

"Emmett? He works as a physical therapist here?"

She nodded, her face softening. "Yeah. He was like a big brother to me when I first started working here. He found me when I got lost the first week. We've been friends ever since—not really good friends, but sometimes I eat lunch with him." She smiled.

"Well, I don't know too much about him," I paused, remembering a certain story about a grizzly bear. "But Edward did tell me that when Emmett was ten, he ran into a baby grizzly bear when they were out camping. He wanted to go and play with it, but then the mother bear showed up."

Tia was starting to grin, so I kept going, hoping I was gaining her favor. "Apparently Emmett managed to scramble up a tree and the bear attempted to follow, but she was too big to make it up very high. He was up there all night and wouldn't come down until his dad found him the next day."

Tia was nodding and laughing. "He told me that story. He said he was glad it wasn't a black bear, which probably would have climbed right up after him."

"So do you believe me?" I asked hopefully.

Tia grinned. "Yep, you passed the test. I bet you were worried about Edward when you heard about the bus crash."

I liked Tia, but I wasn't prepared to tell her that I'd been in the bus crash, so I just nodded.

"I'll take you to him," Tia told me as she exited the elevator. "He's got a half hour lunch break about now, most days, so he's probably in the staff cafeteria with Emmett. They always sit in the far right hand corner, so we'll go look for them there."

Just then, her pager beeped. She sighed. "Shoot. I'm getting paged so I'm not going to be able to take you. Can you get there on your own?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah—I can walk just fine, I'm just a bit slow."

"Okay, it's straight through those doors and then back and to the right. Just look for a real big guy. You can't miss Emmett."

"Thanks, Tia."

"Good luck!" she told me before hurrying away. I rose from the wheelchair, pushing it aside. Slowly, I walked into the cafeteria and headed towards the back right hand side. I started scanning the tables for a patch of bronze hair.

My heart started beating out of control when I finally saw him. There, at the very back of the cafeteria, right where Tia had said he'd be, was Edward. I stopped dead in my tracks. He looked even better than the computer screen had let on. My eyes were trained on him, but I continued to stand rooted to the spot. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him laugh, smiling at the person across the table from him.

Suddenly, my eyes were drawn to a little boy who was running around near his table_. Is that…Josh?_ I thought. He spun around briefly and I realized that it was. My face broke into another smile as I realized it must be Angela who was sitting across from Edward. Her back was facing me, but I recognized her hair and she appeared to be holding a small bundle that probably contained Isaac. My excitement grew as I realized I'd get to see her too.

As I walked slowly closer, I glanced at the two other people who were sitting next to Edward and Angela and seemed to be taking part in their conversation. I assumed the large and muscular looking man who was sitting beside Angela with his back to me must be Emmett.

Then, I looked at the woman who was sitting beside Edward, facing me. She was drop dead gorgeous—blond hair cascaded around her shoulders and her face was heartbreakingly beautiful. My footsteps halted again as I realized she was indeed the reporter who had interviewed Edward. Rosalie. She was looking quite smug as she watched Angela.

I was still standing there frozen, trying to gather the courage to approach, when Rosalie glanced up and her eyes met mine. She glared at me and I took a step back, shocked by the intensity of her gaze. She whispered something to Emmett, who turned around and looked at me and narrowed his eyes. He shook his head at Rosalie and started to rise out of his seat, but Rosalie put a gentle hand on his shoulders and stood up instead. Neither Edward nor Angela seemed to notice this little exchange or notice me standing there. Rosalie excused herself quickly from the table and walked briskly over to me. I wasn't sure what to do.

"Leave," she snarled at me as she approached.

"What?" I asked, shocked at her audacity and completely confused by her immediate hatred.

"I said 'leave,'" she repeated. "Before I call security. I know your boss sent you, I know you're trained to be persistent, but really, coming into his work place and interrupting his lunch to interview him? Pretending to be injured," she gestured to my leg, "so that you can get a quote out of him? Show a bit of class."

I stared at her, dumbstruck. She continued speaking as she grabbed my arm and began pulling me back toward the cafeteria entrance. " He doesn't want to talk to you people," she told me through clenched teeth. "He's having a really tough time. He did one interview—one!—with me because he knew I wouldn't ask questions he didn't want to answer. We thought after that, the public would lose interest, but clearly that's not the case."

I realized she thought I was a reporter, trying to get a story. "I'm not a reporter," I said quickly. "I'm—"

"Great. That's even worse," she interrupted me. She towered over me, eyes burning with fury. I was surprises that such a goddess could turn into a devil. "You're a groupie, aren't you? Here to get his autograph and fawn all over him."

I opened my mouth, but Rosalie was on a roll. I decided it was just best to wait her out because I couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"I hate to break it to you, sweetheart," she sneered. "But he doesn't want your attention. There are only two women whose attention he wants right now and one of them is sitting across the table from him."."

My mind went blank at those words. Rosalie turned me around to face Edward and spoke in a deadly voice. "That's the happiest I've seen him since the bus accident. He's been looking for a woman from the accident ever since, which you probably know since I'm sure you saw the interview. He's finally got the key to finding her and there is no way in hell I'm going to let you mess that up."

I was barely listening. I was too busy watching Edward as he rose from the table, a huge smile on his face, and pulled Angela into a tight hug, while being careful not to squash Isaac. Then he pulled back slightly…and he kissed her. I couldn't tell from this distance if it was on her cheek or her mouth, but the intent was clear.

I realized, in that instant, as my entire world plummeted, that Didyme and I had entirely misinterpreted that beautiful, heartbreaking video.

Because _Angela_ was incredibly brave—far braver than I. She had faced the blood and injury, while I simply ran away from it. And without her, at least two passengers—Felix and Chelsea—_would_ be dead. She was the one who stayed with Edward, who provided him the support he needed to keep him level-headed and sane. _She_ was the real hero because she stepped outside her comfort zone and helped heal those who were terribly hurt.

And of course Angela wouldn't want the credit. She was incredibly modest and she wouldn't want her boys to have to deal the press. Edward must have lost track of her after she left the hospital, which was why he sent out that plea.

Clearly, Angela had contacted him after she saw the interview, which is why they were together today. That was why Edward was so happy. He was finally seeing her again. He loved her.

Not me.

I didn't even notice Rosalie saying in a satisfied tone, "I think it's time for you to leave. Now." I didn't feel her push me out the cafeteria doors. I didn't notice my walk to the curb or the taxi ride back to Alice's.

I was too busy feeling my heart break.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Don't go crazy now. I promise it's all going to work out. Next chapter we're going to hear from our favorite bronze-haired man who is going to explain what he's been up to for the last month. And then we get to chapter seventeen. Seventeen is my favorite number…and I think once you read that chapter, it'll be yours too. ;)

I'd love it if you'd review. I'm up for anything, as always. If you've got questions or concerns, please let me know. Sometimes I miss things or haven't explained them thoroughly. When you bring them to my attention, it makes the story better. I had an excellent review last chapter that helped me realize I needed to focus more on part of the story I had been neglecting. So please keep them coming! I appreciate each one.


	16. Notes and New Friends

**This chapter is long**_**,**_** folks. I recommend reading carefully and when you've got time. There are details in here that you don't want to miss. I apologize for the delay. I'm going to stop promising to get chapters out by a certain date because a number of things—this time it was computer problems—seem determined to make me break those promises. :/ Just know that I always work hard on the chapters and get them out to you as fast as I can.**

**Notes and New Friends (Edward's POV)**

The day I met Angela for lunch was the first day since the bus accident that I left work smiling. The uneasy feeling in my chest had finally abated slightly. I grinned as I glanced down at the piece of paper in my hands. As I walked towards the parking garage to find my Volvo, I thought about all that had happened over the past four weeks.

* * *

I was glad that the ambulances and helicopters brought us to OHSU. The hospital was my territory, even if I'd only been here a few weeks. Most of us were transported there by ambulance, except for those who were the worst off—they were airlifted. By the time we arrived Felix and Chelsea were in surgery, Demetri was being examined, and Caius was having his heart monitored.

The ER was fairly quiet so the doctors and nurses tended to us immediately. Before I let anyone examine me, I gave Carmen Martinez, the attending physician, a rundown of everyone's injuries.

When I finished rattling off information, Carmen smiled. "Thanks, Edward. Now sit down so Kate can examine you. You're not on duty and I will _not_ allow you to run around acting like it."

I nodded my acceptance. As she was leaving my exam room, she turned back, "Good job, tonight. You saved at least two lives with very few resources. That's one mark of a true doctor. You did well, Cullen," she told me in accented English. Carmen was a kind woman, but quite strict. Praise from her was rare, so I savored it.

"Thanks," I told her, then sobered. "I didn't save them all though," I said, swallowing. "I had to choose…I let a man go. His artery was severed and—"

"So in all likelihood, he would not have survived," Carmen told me firmly. "You saved two lives tonight. We cannot save them all, you know this. You made the right choice. Focus on the living." She bustled away.

The rest of the night, I tried to do just that, although the guilt was still gnawing at me. We were all kept overnight to be monitored and Carmen informed me that law enforcement was going to question us about the crash. I settled in next to Angela as we waited for the police officers to come speak to us. The nurses had given us sets of scrubs to wear, since our clothes were bloody and ruined.

Isaac was fast asleep, after crying in the ambulance but Josh couldn't calm down. "Mommy!" he said for the fifth time, "we got to ride in an ambulance! Wasn't that cool?"

"Yes, Josh," Angela said patiently. "It was very special."

Josh nodded before complaining, "But I didn't get to ride in the helicopter."

Angela rolled her eyes at me as I grinned. "At least he's not scarred by the experience," I said jokingly.

She laughed. "I think he'd be happy to repeat the experience, actually. It was the most exciting day of his life."

"Mommy? Where's Marcus? I want to go find more suitcases with him!"

As Angela opened her mouth to answer, the door opened, revealing two police officers.

"Edward Cullen?" one of the officers asked. "I need to ask you a few questions."

I nodded and followed him toward another exam room as the other officer stayed to speak to Angela. As I left the room, I could hear Josh saying eagerly, "Wow! Are you a police officer? Do you have a gun?"

The officer and I sat down and he proceeded to question me about the crash. He then explained that the bus driver and the bus company were under investigation but the company had volunteered to pay all hospital and funeral expenses associated with the crash.

Once he had taken down my information, I voiced a question that had been gnawing at me for a few hours. "Have you heard from a young woman, Bella, who secured our rescue? I'm worried about her. I'd like to know if she's all right." My stomach twisted. _Please._

"Was she the one who located the police officer, who phoned for help?" I hadn't known that Bella had found a police officer, but I knew it had to be her, so I nodded as he explained, "I heard she's fine, but Tim—the policeman who found her—he's here in the hospital. I don't know how much he can tell you, but he mentioned that he'd like to speak to you. We're done here so I'll send him in."

"That would be great, thanks." The officer left and a minute later, another stepped into the room. He was in his late fifties and looked a little worse for wear. He was carrying a bag and a skateboard, both of which I had seen on Bella's back earlier that day. I swallowed, suddenly nervous to hear how she was doing.

"You Edward Cullen?" he asked.

"Yes…are you Tim?"

"Tim Watt," he confirmed, holding out his hand. We shook as he said, "Bella left you a note…and a bag of cell phones." His mouth twitched in amusement.

"She's all right?" I asked anxiously. "Is she here?"

Tim nodded at my first question, but shook his head at my second. "She sprained her ankle and she's scraped up, but otherwise she's doing just fine, at least physically. But she didn't come here…she went to stay with her friend. She got checked out by a doctor, so she didn't need to come to the hospital."

"Can you give me a way to reach her?" I asked eagerly.

Tim shook his head. "The contact information that she gave me is private. It's only for use in the investigation, but I'm sure she left it for you in this note." He handed me a sloppily folded piece of paper and the backpack that Bella had taken with her.

I was about to look at the note, when Tim asked. "Do you…want this?" He held the skateboard out to me. "Bella forgot to take it with her."

I shrugged. "Um…sure, I guess. Did she actually use this?" I asked, curious.

Tim laughed. "She sure as hell did. That's how she sprained her ankle, of course. She's just as stubborn and clumsy as her father." He shook his head as he yawned. His shift had probably ended hours ago. No wonder he was tired.

I couldn't let him go just yet though. "You know her father?" I was fishing for information, but I had to take what I could get.

"Oh yeah, we go way back. He'd be proud of what she did today. She was quite the trooper. I need to get home so I can call him and let him know she's okay. It's a long drive, so I should probably be gettin' back, if that's all right."

I smiled. "Yes, that's fine. Thank you for the note and for helping Bella. She means a lot to me."

Tim looked at me hard. "If you see her again, you be gentle with her. This crash shook her up real bad. She needs some lookin' after."

I nodded, my mouth twisting in worry. Bella must be quite emotionally shaken by the crash. She hadn't shown that to me, but we had all acted brave because we needed to. I longed to make sure she was all right and to help her if she wasn't. I knew I could help her far more than anyone back in Phoenix could. _Why did she have to live in a different city?_ I asked myself for the hundredth time.

I realized that Tim had exited the room while I was deep in thought. I glanced down at the folded piece of paper in my hands, noticing that it had my name scrawled across the front. Slowly, I opened Bella's note and began to read.

_To everyone,_ the note read,

_I found help and I heard that you had reached the hospital safely. I hope you all pull through this. I'm going home, but I hope you stay safe and recover from this. _

_I would ask one favor before I go. Please keep quiet about my involvement. I do not want my name or what I did to be released to the press. I am a very private person and so I ask that you please respect my wishes._

_I know the media and they will be all over this. Apart from my involvement, tell them what you wish, but please understand that you will be hassled. I would discuss this as a group before you leave the hospital._

_Good luck and stay well._

I glanced down and noticed an additional note at the bottom.

_Edward,_

_Thank you for watching out for me and for saving so many lives. You are an amazing person. Don't ever forget that. You have a family who loves you very much and you will find friends who will do the same. Thank you for being my friend for a day and thank you for one of the most wonderful conversations I have ever had. I will miss you._

_Tell Angela, Josh, and Isaac I say hello. I hope they are well and safe. _

_Thank you for everything. I hope you have an incredible rest of your life. Be safe._

_Bella_

My heart sunk as I finished reading. She'd left me no contact information. The end of her note sounded like a dismissal. She said she enjoyed talking to me, but told me to have a good life, as though she never intended to speak to me again. The _be safe_ at the end of her note echoed my last words as I said goodbye at the bottom of the hill. _Now that I think about it, it's a pretty crappy way to say goodbye._

I sank slowly into a seat, feeling strangely devastated. I wish it didn't matter so much, but it did. _She_ mattered. _Bella_.

Her note made sense. She lived hours away from me and we'd known each other for less than a day. Under most circumstances, this would mean a parting of ways. We'd each get on with our lives, which were entirely separate.

But these were not most circumstances and I didn't want to part ways. It was crazy and harebrained and it probably wouldn't change anything, but I wanted to see her again.

I was still sitting there when Angela came in carrying Isaac and towing a now very sleepy-looking Josh by the hand.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she asked, alarmed by my expression.

I showed her the note. When Angela finished reading, she sighed. "I'm sorry, Edward. You have to understand…Bella's a very practical person. She probably feels there's little point in keeping contact because she lives so far away. If she were close by, it would be a different story. I'll try getting a hold of her sometime in the next week or two and see how she's doing."

_But I need to know she's okay __**now**__,_ I wanted to demand, but I bit my tongue. Bella wasn't Angela's responsibility. Yes, they were friends, but Angela had her hands full as a single mother with two young sons. My concerns would have to wait.

I had Angela retrieve her phone from Bella's backpack and then I helped settle her and her sons into a hospital bed.

"You won't say anything about Bella to the press?" I was fairly sure she wouldn't, but I had to be certain. This was all Bella had asked of us. I would make sure it was carried out.

Angela shook her head. "Of course not. I'm going to stay as far away from them as I can."

I nodded my approval. "I need to go return these," I held up the cell phones, "and check on everyone. Try and get some sleep. I'll try to see you before you leave."

Angela nodded, her eyes already closing. Both her sons were fast asleep. It had been quite a day.

When I left the room, I fished my cell phone out of the bag and turned it on. I had ten missed calls and four voicemails, all from Rose and Emmett. They must have found out about the accident, probably because Rose worked as a reporter.

I dialed my voicemail and listened. Rosalie came on first. "Edward," she said, her voice tinged with worry. "I just heard. I could be wrong but I'm ninety percent certain you were on a bus that crashed. They're taking the passengers to OHSU, so I hope to God you're all right. I don't know how to tell Emmett about this. If you're not okay…God…he'll be a wreck…please be okay…or alive, at least. Call Emmett if you get this, not me. I don't want anyone in the media finding out I know someone from the crash. It'll make things far too complicated for you. So please call Emmett and _please_ be all right."

That voicemail ended. The next three were from Emmett.

"Hey Edward…God…Rose just called me…I don't know what to think. Please be okay. Please. I just want you to be safe and all right…call me if you get this. I'm going to try to come over to the hospital…but please, just call, if you can. I love you." He sounded frantic.

"Edward, you better be all right. You have to be. You always knew how to get yourself out of bad spots…way better than me. If I know you, you probably did something heroic…I'm just hoping it didn't get you killed. I'm so worried right now…please be all right. And if you are, _call_ _me_ for goodness's sake. I don't know how much more of this I can take…oh God…what am I going to tell Mom and Dad? What can I say? You finally came home and now…" The voicemail ended abruptly in what sounded like a sob.

The last message was calmer. "Hey Edward, they told me you're all right, thank God. They weren't telling me anything, but I finally got through to a nurse…she told me you're fine. But please call. I'm near the front of the building. They wouldn't let me see you—they said I had to wait until visiting hours, but at least I'm close. Call as soon as you get this. Thanks. Love you."

I went over to the nurses' station and nodded to the nurse on desk duty. She had graying hair and seemed about middle-aged. She looked harried. I was just about to dial Emmett when she said "You're Edward, right?" I nodded. "I'm Shelly Cope. Your brother's been calling every twenty minutes, trying to talk to you. I know you were busy before, but could you please, for the sake of my sanity, give him a call back?"

I laughed. "I'm calling him right now."

Shelly sighed. "Thank goodness," she said. "I love Emmett, but I've never had to deal with him when he's been worried."

"You know Emmett?" I asked. "But he works at the other end of the hospital."

Shelly rolled her eyes. "_Everybody_ knows Emmett. He's one of the best and most lovable guys in this hospital. He's hard to miss. He's done nearly half the staff here a kind turn or two. If you're anything like him, you'll be just as well known soon." She winked at me and turned back to her paperwork.

I smiled as I dialed Emmett's number. Emmett was always the incredibly friendly guy that everyone knew. In high school, I found his universal likability irritating because I was always 'Emmett Cullen's little brother,' but now I was glad that we worked at the same place. It was nice to know he would look out for me. I'd been so busy moving and adjusting to my new job that I hadn't taken Emmett up on his offer to show me around, but I would soon. I knew he'd steer me the right way.

Emmett answered his phone instantly. "Edward? Are you all right?" His voice was shaking. I felt terrible that I'd caused my family anxiety yet again, although at least this time it wasn't deliberate.

"I'm absolutely fine. I made it out okay, as did most of the rest of us." I explained everything that happened.

Once I finished, he told me he was going to head home, since they wouldn't let him in to see me until visiting hours began. I asked him to call our parents and Rosalie to let them know what was going on. I would call them as well, but I needed to go home and get a good night…well, day's sleep.

During our conversation, he had explained that Rose had actually been called to the hospital to report on the news about the story outside the main entrance. She knew all the details and had some advice for me and the other passengers about coping with the media.

I was surprised when he told me he loved me again. It wasn't something we said to each other often and it meant a lot to know that he was there for me.

After we hung up, I begged an update on my fellow passengers from Shelly Cope. Chelsea was out of surgery and in stable condition, but Felix was still touch and go. Everyone else was doing fine, although Heidi was having severe back pain. She, Demetri, and Caius would also be kept in the hospital for another day or two.

Shelly recommended that I catch a few hours sleep, like most of the passengers were doing after such a long day. She found an extra room with a bed for me and I fell asleep immediately, but woke up a few hours later when sunlight came streaming through the window behind the hospital bed. It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for February in Portland.

Lack of sleep and keeping strange hours were commonplace for interns, so I had no trouble getting up, although I was completely exhausted. I went looking for the other passengers immediately, intent on giving them Bella's message. A nurse told me that Caius had been transferred to a special private room. I raised my eyebrows. That took money.

When I asked Kate, one of my fellow interns, about it, she raised her eyebrows. "You don't know about them? Caius works with Aro Volturi, who owns Volturi Enterprises. They're _made_ of money. They all got special rooms last night with nice beds to sleep in. They donated an entire wing of this hospital, after all." She nudged me playfully. "Maybe you'll even get a nice reward for saving them."

I chuckled. "I doubt it. Caius doesn't like me much and Aro is…unsettling."

Kate laughed. "Yes, well Didyme and Marcus seem nice enough. I was having a chat with them earlier. You're right about Aro though. Maybe all that money's made them a bit wacky."

I realized I quite liked Kate. She made me laugh, but she didn't take guff from anyone—_that_ I'd seen in the two weeks I'd been here. I liked her far better than anyone I'd worked with back at Northwestern. Kate was tough, but she wasn't cutthroat, like so many interns I'd met. I decided to ask for a favor.

"Is there any way you could help me get all the passengers in one room? Perhaps Caius's, since he has it to himself? I need to speak with all the passengers before I go home today. It's about the press and such."

"Not the two who were in surgery, surely?" Kate asked. "You must be crazy if you think they're going anywhere."

I shook my head. "No, not them, nor Angela—the woman with the kids. Just the Volturi six and Heidi and Demetri, if you can manage that."

Kate smiled. "You got it, Edward," she held up a finger, "but you owe me."

"How can I repay my debt?" I asked, half teasing.

"Have lunch with me and Garrett sometime next week. You seem like a nice guy. I'd like it if we could be friends," she called as she headed off to collect the others.

I smiled as I headed upstairs. I met Didyme outside Caius's room. Kate and Shelly arrived soon after, pushing Demetri and Heidi in wheelchairs.

"Keep it brief, Cullen," Kate warned me, although I could see a hint of a smile in her eyes. "These two are being kept for a couple more days and they aren't supposed to be out of their rooms. They're going for tests soon though…I just took them a little early." She winked. "Shelly was coming off her shift and volunteered to help. We'll stand guard. When you're done, let me know."

I nodded and thanked them. Heidi smiled weakly at me, while Demetri slapped me lightly on the back. They were both clearly in pain. I felt terrible for dragging them up here, but I needed to speak to them all, even without the added incentive of Bella's note.

When Didyme and I entered the room, pushing Demetri and Heidi, Caius was scowling. "What's going on now?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"We need to be on the same page before we leave the hospital," I told him. "I've talked to Angela, and Felix and Chelsea are still too injured, but I thought the rest of us should speak. It's about the press, mostly."

Caius and Aro both leaned forward. "What about them?" they asked simultaneously.

"They will be asking questions," I told them. "This is a big story, especially if it's spun the right way." I explained more about the press, relaying the information that Emmett had given me from Rosalie.

"Bella sent a note." Everyone drew a collective breath when I mentioned that. I took it out of my pocket and tore off the top half—the part addressed to everyone—and handed it to Marcus, while tucking the bottom half into my pocket. Marcus read it aloud.

When he finished, everyone was silent for a moment before Demetri said, "It doesn't seem fair, though. She did so much…we have to acknowledge it."

"But it's what she wants," I told him. "She says so right there. If she wanted anything else, we would do as she asked, but she asks us this and I think we should respect her wishes."

Demetri shook his head. "We can't just keep something like this a secret. She is a hero. She deserves praise and accolades. That crash was tough for all of us, but she went off on her own and found rescue. That takes guts. We can't just act like it didn't happen."

I felt myself glaring. _Did he not listen to her note? _I knew Demetri was well intentioned, but Bella's wishes could not have been any clearer. I thought she deserved praise as much as anyone—more, even—but she didn't want the media harassing her. I wanted to protect her from the press. She wanted that protection.

I was about to open my mouth to argue when Caius interceded. "I disagree," he told Demetri. I raised my eyebrows, surprised. "She saved us and this is all she asks in return. Surely it is not too hard a wish to grant. You are welcome to tell the media your part of the tale…you can even say that someone went for rescue. If you are asked whom, you can tell them that you prefer not to comment or say that in the confusion, you are not sure who left or you do not know her name."

He paused to catch his breath. "The six of us," he gestured to himself and his five companions, "are financially well off and thus fairly well known. Some of us like the media; others do not. Marcus and Didyme like to stay out of the limelight," he nodded in their direction as they made noises of agreement. "Aro, on the other hand, enjoys the attention," Aro nodded smugly and Caius's mouth twisted the slightest bit.

Caius took a breath and continued, his voice rising over his beeping heart machines. "Bella, it seems, is of the former variety. She may very well have saved our lives. Are you really going to disregard the only favor she asks in return?" He stared hard at Demetri, daring him to argue.

Demetri looked down, shamefaced.

"He does not mean it badly," Heidi spoke for the first time. "Of course we will all respect her wishes. He just wants to give honor where honor is due, but if she does not want the attention, we will both stay silent." Demetri nodded.

I sighed. "Good. I have your cell phones here. I'd like to get your numbers before you leave so that I can call you if there are any problems. I'm also going to give you my number so you can call me if you need any assistance related to the crash. Any hospital bills should be covered by the bus company."

"That's good of them," Heidi commented.

"They don't want us to sue," Demetri muttered to her.

Aro snorted. "Oh, I'll be suing, in all likelihood. They can't shut me down that easily." His eyes turned icy. I shivered. I wouldn't want to be the cause of that gaze.

We said our goodbyes after exchanging numbers. Kate came and collected her patients. Just as I was exiting the room, Caius called me back. "Edward," he said, beckoning me over to his bed. I was surprised again by his friendly gesture. He didn't seem at all malicious or irritating now, ashe had at the crash. Perhaps his heart problems had affected him more than I realized. He looked over towards Aro, seeing that he was deep in a discussion with Sulpicia before he continued in a low voice. "Is this Bella girl all right?" he asked with seeming concern. "Did she give you information to reach her? Or even a last name?"

"No," I said, bewildered. _I must have misjudged him_, I thought. He seemed quite kind now. Perhaps it was simply pain and shock that made him so difficult. Still, I was not prepared to put all my trust in him. "Why?" I asked.

Caius shrugged. "She helped all of us, especially me. If I'd had a heart attack…" he trailed off shaking his head. "I just wanted to thank her…privately, of course." Curiosity glittered in his eyes as he gripped my arm. "You really don't know anything more about her?"

I shook my head, even as I thought, _I know she has the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen. I know that she always says something I do not expect. I know that she is kind and selfless and brave. I know that she left but I cannot stop thinking of her. But I suppose you wouldn't care about any of that._

_I do not know her phone number or address or even her last name. I know where she works and what city she lives in and where her father lives, but it is clear she does not want me to contact her._

I wouldn't give Caius any of that information, I decided. If Bella didn't want to hear from me, she certainly didn't want to hear from Caius. I just shook my head, still uncertain about whether I could trust him. Caius's mouth tightened in regret. "If you do find out anything and don't mind telling me, I would appreciate it," he said, before lowering his voice even further. "Be careful about what you tell Aro though. Nothing loosens his tongue like a gaggle of reporters." I nodded and he set me loose.

Didyme hugged me goodbye and Marcus patted me on the back and then I left the room, still curious about Caius's change in behavior. I decided to check on Angela before I headed home.

My heart sank further when I realized she had already left. A nurse told me Angela had said she would call me at the hospital sometime in the next couple weeks. I could only hope she would keep her word and that Bella would want to speak to her and maybe, by extension, me.

* * *

Two weeks later, Emmett and Rose were visiting me at my new apartment. After we ate dinner—take-out food since I'm a hopeless cook—Emmett pulled me aside in the kitchen.

"Edward, what's wrong?" he asked, his expression full of concern as he leaned against the refrigerator. He was quite an intimidating sight—6 feet, 5 inches of pure, burly muscle. Only his dark curly hair and dimples revealed he had a softer side.

"What do you mean?" I asked, attempting to be elusive.

Emmett sighed. "I don't know…you've just been acting, well, _strange_, ever since the accident. I understand that, but you seem _worried_ rather than upset or haunted. I just can't figure out _why_."

I cursed silently. People looked at Emmett and saw this big, lovable, and rather intimidating man. They never considered how intelligent he was. On top of that, he was keenly observant when he wanted to be. It seemed he'd become even more so in the time I'd been away.

"It's nothing," I told him. "I'm just concerned about the other passengers. I feel a great deal of regret and…well, _guilt_ for the three who died. One of them was still alive after we crashed, Emmett, and I didn't save him." This was only a part of what was worrying me, but I couldn't tell him about Bella. He'd tease me to no end.

Emmett patted me sympathetically on the back. "I'm sorry, Edward. I wish there was something I could do. I'm here if you want to talk about anything." He cleared his throat, growing uncomfortable with our heart-to-heart. He headed towards the bathroom while I went to keep Rosalie company

"Just tell him already," she said abruptly as I entered the living room.

"About what?" I asked innocently. Rosalie had caught me the other day doodling 'Bella' all over a piece of paper like a stupid love struck teenager, which spurred a heap of questions from her. I had brushed her off and she eventually let it go, but I knew she was catching on.

I didn't want anyone to know how much I thought about Bella, how much I worried. I missed her. I thought of our conversations constantly. The note she'd written was hardly legible because I'd taken it out and read it so many times.

Of course, she wasn't all I thought about. My shifts at the hospital kept me busy and I had new friends now: Kate and Garrett. Emmett was showing me around and introducing me to people too. He had some friend he kept talking about that he wanted me to meet soon. I was getting to know my superiors, particularly Carmen and Eleazar Martinez, whom I worked with the most. I felt valued and respected in a way I never had back in Chicago.

Yet Bella was still often present in my thoughts. I knew she wished to be left alone, but I couldn't bring myself to listen to her entirely. Yesterday, I couldn't bear the feeling of anxiety in my chest, so I looking for a way to reach her. I searched online for 'Bella' and 'Phoenix Tribune' and 'Forks, Washington' without luck. I tried calling her newspaper, but when I couldn't provide a last name, the secretary got annoyed and hung up.

I tried to contact Angela, but I realized I didn't have her last name or phone number either. I felt like an idiot. _How could I have gone through a life-changing experience with them but not even know their last names?_

All I wanted was to hear from Bella once. Then I would leave her be, or at least that's what I convinced myself.

I was brought back to the present as Rosalie rolled her eyes at me. "It's so obvious," she told me cockily. Rosalie's arrogance was the one thing I disliked about her. _Bella was never arrogant_, I couldn't help thinking.

Rose continued, "You've got girl problems, Edward. You're pining after _someone_."

I didn't say anything. I'd only give myself away.

"I think it's the girl who disappeared," Rose theorized in a low voice. "The one went for help and seemingly vanished into thin air. I find it hard to believe she's keep her mouth shut so long, but how else is it that no one knows who she is?"

I made a fatal mistake then. I took Rosalie's bait, as she intended me to, instead of keeping my cool. "She keeps her mouth shut much better than you do," I snapped.

Rose just smirked, knowing she had me.

So I spilled my guts. I told her how I had met Bella and how Bella had gone for rescue. I told her about the note and what Angela had said. I even told her about my fruitless searches.

I had a feeling that Emmett purposely stayed out of the way. I think they were tag-teaming me and Emmett figured Rose would have better luck. She was a reporter, after all. Yet that did not deter me from spilling my secrets to her. If Rosalie had proved anything in the past few weeks, it was that she was fiercely loyal. She had said nothing to her colleagues or on camera about anything I had told her or Emmett regarding the crash.

When I finished, Rose sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Edward. I think I agree with Angela's assessment. Bella sounds more practical than anything else. It doesn't sound like she doesn't want to see you again, but that she feels that it doesn't make sense because you have different lives. Long distance relationships—friendships or otherwise—rarely work out."

I nodded, although I wasn't nearly as certain as Rose that Bella wanted to see me again.

Rose continued. "I can get Angela's information. I don't know if she's showed up in any articles because no one's really talked to her, but we did get her name."

I nodded. "That would help, thanks. She said she would call once she heard from Bella—and she knows how to reach me at the hospital, but so far I've heard nothing."

Rose nodded before her eyes grew penetrating. Rosalie could be even more intimidating than Emmett when she chose. She was elegant and regal. She was what many would consider the pinnacle of beauty, but it was a fierce beauty, not the quiet and soft beauty I saw in Bella.

"I think you should tell Emmett," she told me.

"No way," I told her. She raised an eyebrow at me, so I explained. "He'll tease me. He'll think I'm stupid for going all mushy over a girl."

Rose frowned. "He won't. Edward, why would you think that? Sure, he acts like a kid sometimes, but he loves you. He'd support you in anything."

I snorted. "Hardly. Teasing me is his favorite activity. I'm generally a good sport about it, but I won't let him tease me about Bella. I know it seems silly, but…she means too much to me."

"You're underestimating him," Rose said firmly. "He's grown up, Edward, but you haven't been here to see it." Her eyes grew piercing. "You haven't really been home since high school, at least not for an extended period. You haven't spent a whole lot of time with Emmett since he was twenty. He's twenty-eight now Edward—long past college. He's not the same guy who teased you all the time and called you 'Eddie.'" She smiled knowingly when I raised my eyebrows. "Yes, he told me about that."

She paused and I began feeling guilty. "But maybe you deserve to be called that nickname if you can't even see how hard he's trying to get you to trust him. He _misses_ you, Edward. You have to let him back in.

"Do you know how happy he was when you told him you were moving to Portland to work in the same hospital as him? He was _so_ happy…bouncing off the walls happy. Do you know how jealous I was? I wish I could make him half as happy." She shook her head in regret. "And you don't even see him. You see the college kid who teased you and made his fair share of mistakes. You don't see the man who is trying his best to be a big brother and take care of you."

By the time she finished speaking, I felt terrible. Rosalie was right. I still thought of Emmett as being like the Invisible Emmett voice in my head: good for a laugh and far too good at teasing me.

I thought about Emmett's behavior since the bus accident. I recalled his worried phone messages and the way he'd picked me up to bring me home from the hospital and insisted on staying with me for the next two days. He hadn't called me 'Eddie' once. He hadn't teased. He was doing his best to welcome me and take care of me and I hadn't even paid attention to how hard he was trying.

I saddened my family when I left for Northwestern. It was a hard thing for me to admit, but it was true. Each time I refused to come home, I hurt them further.

My family had always been close growing up. We did everything together—from camping trips to Emmett's football games to my piano recitals. Yet sometimes, I felt strangely…adrift. I felt like no one understood me or saw me for who I was. And I was always a bit jealous of Emmett, who garnered so much attention and seemed to take the whole world on. I don't know why I felt a gap between us, but when college rolled around, I used it as an opportunity to widen it. I'd turned the gap into an abyss.

And now I had to build the bridge that would get me back over to the other side. "You're right, Rose," I told her. "I'll tell him."

"I'll go get him," she told me. "I think he's probably quite well acquainted with your toilet seat at this point."

I made a face and then called out to her before she left the room. "Rose?" she turned back toward me and her face softened as I told her, "You make him twice as happy as I ever could." It was nothing but the truth.

* * *

A few days later, I was over at Emmett's apartment, having managed to escape the press for today. I was hiding, hoping that by the time I went home, the reporters would have given up for the day. I was starting to wonder if it would be better to give them what they wanted. I'd tried refusing more times than I could count, but so far it didn't seem to be working.

The past two weeks, while they had been pleasant ones at work, were rather horrible otherwise. The press had found out a great deal of information about the crash. They'd turned me into the "hero doctor" who had saved the day. I was tailed and hassled by the press. My home phone rang off the hook with news shows asking about interviews and even book deals. They'd even gotten Emmett's phone number, as well as my parents', and started calling them. A gaggle of them waited outside the hospital every morning. A few of them had even tried to sneak in to talk to me, but the staff was pretty good at getting rid of them, although occasionally one managed to sneak into the lunch room.

It wasn't only the press either. Acquaintances from back home called to talk to me, as well as James and some of my old mentors. Patients and strangers asked for my autograph. Every morning, a huge pile of mail arrived for me—so much so that it had to be held at the front desk. I got flowers and gifts from the other passengers' families and from public officials. These I brought to the hospital and asked that the candy stripers give them out.

I did not encourage the attention. I refused interviews and unplugged my telephone. I got a new cell phone number when the media started calling the old one. I informed reporters that they needed to contact me directly and not bother my family as I struggled to make it impossible for them to do so.

I kept waiting for the attention to calm down. So far, it hadn't.

Most of the other passengers weren't getting nearly as much attention. Aro was the only exception. He spoke happily to the press and came out of interviews sounding like quite a hero himself. There were a couple articles about Caius and Marcus, but not many. Sulpicia and Athendora's names appeared a few times, but they let their husbands do the talking.

Marcus and Didyme seemed to know how to avoid the limelight for the most part and Angela had managed to follow their footsteps. Heidi and Demetri were quoted once or twice, but they were in the hospital a few extra days and so avoided most of the questioning. Chelsea and Felix were still in the hospital and would not remember enough anyway to say much. I had told them about what had happened, but I didn't bring Bella up. They had been too injured to even remember her.

Bella's name remained absent from the press and for that I was extremely grateful. The press asked who had gone for help, of course, and there were rumors that it was a young woman, but nothing more. I was grateful that everyone kept their mouths shut. Despite the fact that I wanted to know where Bella was, I did not want to betray her trust. I certainly didn't want her to be facing the attention I was.

Through all of this, Rosalie had protected me and Emmett as much as she could. People from her station discovered that Rosalie's boyfriend was the brother of Dr. Cullen, the man from the accident. I knew that Rosalie's superiors wanted the inside scoop. They wanted an interview with me even more. But Rosalie had flat out refused. When I asked why, she said simply, "It's none of their business and I care about Emmett too much to go behind his back. You've got enough to deal with, Edward. The press will harass you, but I'll be damned if I'm one of them. This is one story I won't report."

Now, I was hanging out with Emmett, playing video games. I was horrible at them. I hadn't had time during the past eight years to play much at all. Emmett, on the other hand was an expert. He was quite patient at teaching me, although he couldn't resist gloating a little when I died.

"Oh yeah! Who's the master?" Emmett asked. He punched me playfully in the arm as I rolled my eyes.

"You are," I told him gamely. I'd been trying to spend more time with Emmett since Rosalie's lecture. I had been so focused on my own problems that I hadn't thought about Emmett. Now that I was paying attention, I could see how much he'd grown up. I think Rosalie was a positive influence as well. He was still a big goof, but he was more considerate and mature than he had been at twenty. He hadn't teased me when I told him about Bella. Instead, he offered to help. But it seemed like my best sources of help at the moment were Angela and possibly, if I stuck with my latest idea, Rosalie.

I rose from the couch and headed towards the kitchen, looking for her. I heard her around the corner in the front hallway. It sounded like she was on the telephone.

"—told you I won't do that to Edward," she was saying. I stopped short at the sound of my name.

There was silence for a minute and then Rose started talking again, the irritation clear in her voice. "I don't care. Tell Mr. Horowitz to go stuff himself. Edward's not doing interviews and I'm not going to convince him to."

She listened for a few seconds and then snapped, "I've listened to all your arguments. They aren't going to get you anywhere. Bribing me won't either. I want to be promoted because of my own abilities, not my connections. I think I've made my position clear…right, well then, goodbye." I heard the snap of a cell phone being shut.

I decided I should make my presence known. I walked into the hallway and said quietly, "I'm sorry."

Rose jumped and put her hand over her heart. "Oh, goodness, Edward, you scared me!" My words registered with her and she hastened to reassure me. "It's not _your_ fault. You didn't ask to be landed in this mess. It's just hard. I love reporting—I really do. I like informing the public about events. It's important to lay out the issues and make sure people are educated. But I hate this side of things—the jockeying for news and interviews." She shook her head. "It comes with the territory, I suppose, but I won't let you interview with me or anyone else."

I looked at my feet. "What if I _want_ you to interview me?" I looked up through my eyelashes, uncertain of what Rose's reaction would be.

"_What_?" She looked flabbergasted. "You've spent the last couple weeks _avoiding_ the press!"

I shrugged. "Yes, but it hasn't slowed them down much, has it? I do one interview, it might help. That way my story will be out there, but I can make it clear that one interview is my limit."

Rose tapped a finger against her chin. "Well, it's a possibility, but it might backfire."

I looked down. "Okay…maybe there's another reason I want to do an interview." I paused until Rosalie made an impatient noise. "I want to drop some hints about Bella," I confessed. "Not enough that the press will catch on to who she is, but enough so that _she'll_ know I'm talking about her."

Rose was silent for a minute, really thinking about it. "It's worth a try. If she's looking for news about the bus crash, there's a good possibility that she'll see an interview with you, especially since she works for the _Phoenix Tribune_."

"So you'll do it?"

"Are you sure you don't want to interview with another station? Or a different interviewer?"

I shook my head. "I won't interview with anyone but you—make sure you tell this Mr. Horowitz that. I know you'll only ask the questions I'm comfortable with. Plus, if anyone deserves a promotion, it's you."

Rose blushed. "I don't want you to think I'm doing it because of that because I'm not. You can back out any time."

"I know. I trust you." I'm not sure she knew how much that meant, coming from me. I could count on one hand the number of people I trusted implicitly. But it seemed that number was growing.

* * *

I was right to trust Rosalie. She'd asked all the right questions. We worked out beforehand what I would say about Bella. I was shaking as I spoke the words on camera. I just hoped that behind all the riddles, it was clear to her what I meant: _I care about you and I want to see you again._

The let down came afterwards. I didn't hear from Bella. For two days, I was on pins and needles, hoping for a call or some sign. And finally, just as I was giving up hope, Mrs. Cope rushed into the break room. "Edward, you have a phone call!"

My heart leapt in my chest as I practically ran her over getting to the telephone. She just shook her head at me. Emmett had told her I was expecting a call from 'a special girl.' She'd been teasing me ever since, but she promised to get me if I got a phone call.

"Hello?" I asked eagerly.

"Edward? It's Angela."

"Angela! Hey." I tried to sound excited and I think I succeeded, although I was hoping for a different voice…

"I'm so sorry I didn't call sooner. The whole preschool where I work came down with an awful stomach bug right after we got back. So Josh and Isaac were sick for a week and then I came down with it…it hasn't been a fun time. But I'm so sorry I didn't have a chance to find Bella sooner."

As Angela explained, I felt terribly selfish. Poor Angela had been ill and taking care of Josh, Isaac, and a boatload of other children. She was doing all of this all on her own and I was so preoccupied about Bella that I hadn't thought about helping her.

Angela was still talking. "So, after I saw the interview you did—it was wonderful, by the way—I tried to contact Bella at the _Phoenix Tribune_, but they told me that Bella Swan no longer worked there."

A small part of my brain thought, _Swan…so that's her last name_, while the rest of me was in shock. "What?" I asked. _Had she left her job? But why?_

"Wait—it gets better. So I called my parents, who gave me Chief Swan's—that's Bella's father—number. I finally reached him a little earlier this evening and he told me that Bella quit her job and moved to Portland! Can you believe it?"

I couldn't. I stood stock still for a minute while Angela waited patiently for my reaction. My heart realized what this news meant before the rest of me and was already celebrating. The rest of me caught up eventually, at which point I _may_ have jumped up and down a little.

"No way!" It came out sounding like a squeal.

"Way," Angela told me, laughing. "_Somebody's_ excited," she muttered.

"So did you talk to her?" I asked eagerly.

"No, not yet, but Chief Swan did give me her cell phone number. I thought you should talk to her first. I don't think I can talk to her without bringing you up. Also, it's a little late to be calling her, since it's nearly eleven o'clock now."

"That's true." I was a little disappointed that Angela hadn't spoken to her. It was cowardly, but I had hoped that Bella might approach me or that at least I'd have some idea of how she felt before I spoke to her. _What if she didn't want to see me again? She was in Portland but she hadn't tried to find me or Angela. What if she was avoiding us?_

Angela interrupted my worrying. "So do you want her number?"

"Yes! I do," I told her. Then I remembered what a difficult time Angela had been having. "Do you want to come meet me for lunch sometime soon and you can give it to me then? I'd like to see you, too, and Josh."

Angela laughed. "Sure, Edward. Josh has been asking about you, you know," her voice turned sad and I wondered why. "We're free tomorrow, actually," she said. "Preschool gets out early on Fridays, so we could meet you somewhere, if you like."

"Would the hospital be okay?" I asked her. "I've got a brief lunch break around noon, unless I get paged."

We agreed to meet then at the front desk and exchanged phone numbers so I could call her if I was pulled into surgery and couldn't make it.

I was working a 24-hour shift that had started two hours ago and would continue until 9:00 PM the following evening. Throughout the night, I thought of Bella constantly. She was _right here_, in Portland. I couldn't believe it.

The following day, I met Angela and her boys in the lobby and brought her into the cafeteria. I introduced her to Emmett and Rosalie, who was visiting for lunch. Rosalie was quite taken with Josh and Isaac, and Angela regaled us with stories about her sons. Rosalie took Josh to go get dessert while Emmett and I talked to Angela about nursing.

"I've been thinking about going back to school," Angela told us. "It's hard, with the boys, but I can't be a preschool teacher forever. It was wonderful when…when Ben was working, but I need something that pays more now and Josh won't be in preschool much longer. I liked helping you, Edward, at the accident. I…I really felt like I was making a difference…like I made things easier on both Chelsea and Felix and you."

"You did," I assured her. "Nurses are extremely important in the medical field, especially in hospitals. OHSU has a really good nursing program. They even have some online classes that you could take from home. Also, you mentioned that you have a bachelor's degree in biology, so you've probably fulfilled many of the prerequisites and initial requirements..." Rosalie and Josh came back to the table as I continued to explain the program to her. Josh was happily licking an ice cream cone.

Emmett spoke up. "I know some of the people who help run the nursing program. I can ask them what would happen in your situation. You can get a transcript evaluation done, if you like."

Angela smiled. "I'd really appreciate that, Emmett, thank you."

"If you wanted me to, I'd be happy to watch your boys if I'm not working at the times when you have," Rosalie offered.

"Really?" Angela asked.

"Yes—I love kids. I used to babysit all the time. I'm never around little kids anymore. I miss them." Her face softened as she watched Josh run around our lunch table.

Angela smiled at her as she hitched Isaac higher on her shoulder. "Do you want kids someday?"

Rose and Emmett both stiffened. Rose looked down, while Emmett said gently, "Yes. Someday."

Angela opened her mouth, looking apologetic, but I figured it was probably better to move the conversation along. I didn't know why this was a touchy subject, but I knew Emmett would tell me when he was ready.

"So, Angela, do you have something for me?" I asked.

"Perhaps I do, Edward," Angela teased, catching on to my change in subject.

"Are you going to give it to me? Please?" I couldn't help begging.

"What do I get in return?" Angela had a twinkle in her eye.

"I don't know…what do you think, Josh?" I asked the little boy.

"Give Mommy a kiss! When Mommy's sad, it makes her happy," he explained.

"I think that there's someone else that Edward would much rather kiss," Angela told her son. Emmett chuckled. I blushed as Rose smirked at Angela, who grinned. I hadn't felt this cheerful in quite a while, even if the laughter was at my expense.

Angela pulled a piece of paper out of her purse. "What's that?" Josh asked.

"It's the answer to all of Edward's dreams," Emmett said, laughing. I noticed that Rose had disappeared from the table, but I was too focused on what was in Angela's hands to bother looking for her.

"It's the telephone number of a girl that Edward likes," Angela explained to Josh as she winked at me.

"Ohhh. The pretty girl who likes trucks?"

"Yes. Her name is Bella," I told him, blushing as Emmett snorted and Angela giggled. _This is going to come back to bite me if Bella doesn't like me back._

Angela slid the piece of paper over to me. "There you go, Edward."

My face broke out into a huge grin at the ten numbers written out on that piece of paper. I rose from my chair and picked Angela up, spinning her around. She just laughed.

I pulled back and kissed her chastely on the cheek. "There's the kiss you deserve. Thank you."

Angela smiled. "Anything for Bella."

After Rose came back to the table and we finished lunch, I walked Angela and her boys to the front door.

"Don't give up on me now," Angela ordered, before flagging a taxi. "You better call her."

* * *

The problem was back in my apartment the following morning I couldn't bring myself to dial the very numbers that had brought me such joy.

_Just do it, Edward. Either it will be the best thing that happened to you or it will be crushing, but at least you'll know how she feels, either way,_ I thought.

_You can't wimp out now, Eddie._ So Invisible Emmett wasn't dead after all.

I steeled myself and dialed. The phone rang four times. I was about to give up, when I heard the phone being picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?" a high, perky voice demanded. I stared at my phone in shock. That definitely wasn't the voice I was expecting.

I slammed my phone shut. I didn't know who that was, but it sure wasn't Bella.

* * *

**Author's Note:** **I know I say this often, but it bears repeating: Y'all are awesome. Thank you so much for all the reviews—praise, questions, criticism, and threats alike. ;)**

**Nominations for various twific awards going on, as many of you know. I encourage you all to participate, especially in the Indie Twific Awards. The Indies are particularly wonderful because they give little known but amazing stories (for example, a story with 18 chapters, but less than 300 reviews) the recognition they deserve. This is not meant as self promotion, I promise. It's just a plea for you to participate. There are so many stories that are so much better and more deserving that should get your nomination/vote. So go nominate those stories! I put the links in my profile, in case you aren't sure where to go.**

**Thank you to my ever amazing beta, Babette12. She wrote a new one shot called _Taking Liberties _which is absolutely wonderful. Please go read it. It's brilliant. I helped beta it, so I should know. ;) Here's the link: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5113970/1 or check out Babette's profile under my favorite authors.**

**Don't forget to review!**


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